Estate in tail, a limited, abridged, or reduced fee; an estate limited to certain heirs, and from which the other heirs are precluded; -- called also estate tail. Blackstone.

* The tail of mammals and reptiles contains a series of movable vertebræ, and is covered with flesh and hairs or scales like those of other parts of the body. The tail of existing birds consists of several more or less consolidated vertebræ which supports a fanlike group of quills to which the term tail is more particularly applied. The tail of fishes consists of the tapering hind portion of the body ending in a caudal fin. The term tail is sometimes applied to the entire abdomen of a crustacean or insect, and sometimes to the terminal piece or pygidium alone.

Doretus writes a great praise of the distilled waters of those tails that hang on willow trees. Harvey.

The Lord will make thee the head, and not the tail. Deut. xxviii. 13.

"Ah," said he, "if you saw but the chief with his tail on." Sir W. Scott.

Tail beam. (Arch.) Same as Tailpiece. -- Tail coverts (Zoöl.), the feathers which cover the bases of the tail quills. They are sometimes much longer than the quills, and form elegant plumes. Those above the quills are called the upper tail coverts, and those below, the under tail coverts. -- Tail end, the latter end; the termination; as, the tail end of a contest. [Colloq.] -- Tail joist. (Arch.) Same as Tailpiece. -- Tail of a comet (Astron.), a luminous train extending from the nucleus or body, often to a great distance, and usually in a direction opposite to the sun. -- Tail of a gale (Naut.), the latter part of it, when the wind has greatly abated. Totten. -- Tail of a lock (on a canal), the lower end, or entrance into the lower pond. -- Tail of the trenches (Fort.), the post where the besiegers begin to break ground, and cover themselves from the fire of the place, in advancing the lines of approach. -- Tail spindle, the spindle of the tailstock of a turning lathe; -- called also dead spindle. -- To turn tail, to run away; to flee.

Would she turn tail to the heron, and fly quite out another way; but all was to return in a higher pitch. Sir P. Sidney.

Nevertheless his bond of two thousand pounds, wherewith he was tailed, continued uncanceled, and was called on the next Parliament. Fuller.

To tail in or on (Arch.), to fasten by one of the ends into a wall or some other support; as, to tail in a timber.

Tail on. (Naut.) See Tally on, under Tally.