tails
B1Neutral to formal (depending on context; 'tails' in coin toss is informal; 'tails' as in formal wear is formal).
Definition
Meaning
The plural form of 'tail', referring primarily to the hindmost, often elongated, appendage of an animal. Also denotes the side of a coin opposite the head (obverse).
As a noun: 1. The lower, hanging, or rear part of something (e.g., of a shirt, comet, distribution). 2. Formal evening wear for men (tailcoat). 3. (Verb, 3rd person singular) To follow closely and secretly. As a plural noun in specific contexts: the reverse of a coin, the end of a process.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable plural noun. The singular 'tail' has a wider range of metaphorical uses. The verb 'to tail' (follow) is more common in informal/spy contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. 'Tails' as formal wear (tailcoat) is understood in both, but the full term 'tails' or 'white tie and tails' is standard. The verb 'to tail' (follow) is used similarly.
Connotations
In both varieties, 'tails' implies the end, rear, or less important part. In fashion, 'tails' (tailcoats) connote high formality.
Frequency
Equally common for coin toss and animal anatomy. The verb use ('he tails the suspect') is slightly more frequent in American crime drama lexicon.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Noun] + tails (e.g., The dog has fluffy tails.)Tail + [prepositional phrase] (e.g., tails of the comet)Verb + tails (e.g., call tails)[Subject] + tails + [object] (verb: e.g., The agent tails the car.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Heads or tails?”
- “On someone's tail (following closely)”
- “Turn tail (to flee)”
- “The tail(s) wagging the dog (minor part controlling the whole)”
- “Chase your (own) tail (to be busy without progress)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. May appear in 'long-tail' marketing strategies or in distributions (e.g., 'the tails of the revenue curve').
Academic
Used in statistics ('tails of a distribution'), biology (animal morphology), and physics (e.g., comet tails).
Everyday
Very common for coin tosses, describing pets/animals, and informal following ('I think we have a tail').
Technical
In aviation: 'tails' of aircraft. In cryptography: 'terminal tails' of sequences.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The detective tails the suspect through the London markets.
- Our car tails the lorry on the M1.
American English
- The agent tails the target across the city.
- Revenue growth tails off in the fourth quarter.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as adverb) The plane flew tails low.
American English
- (Rare as adverb) The distribution falls off tails quickly.
adjective
British English
- He wore his tails suit to the wedding.
- The tails section of the report was missing.
American English
- It's a white-tie event, so you'll need your tails.
- The tails portion of the graph is critical.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Dogs wag their tails when they are happy.
- We flipped a coin and it landed on tails.
- The cat has two black tails in the picture.
- The comet's tails were visible through the telescope.
- He chose tails, but the coin showed heads.
- The formal dress code required men to wear tails.
- The statistical model accounts for the long tails of the distribution.
- The private investigator tails his subject discreetly.
- The tails of his shirt were hanging out.
- The economic policy focused on the fat tails of risk assessment.
- Despite the agent's efforts to remain unseen, the target knew he was being tailed.
- The tails of the Gaussian curve approach but never touch the axis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a coin with a TAIL of a fox on its back side. Animals have TAILS, and you can see many TAILS at the zoo.
Conceptual Metaphor
ENDINGS ARE TAILS (e.g., 'the tail end of the meeting', 'the tail of the story'). INSIGNIFICANT PARTS ARE TAILS (e.g., 'the tail of the budget').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'tales' (рассказы) из-за омофонов.
- В русском 'хвосты' может означать академическую задолженность, что не соответствует прямому переводу 'tails'.
- При переводе 'tails' как глагола ('he tails her') — может быть неочевидно значение 'следить, идти по пятам'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tails' as a singular noun (e.g., 'a tails' – incorrect; correct: 'a tail').
- Confusing 'tails' (animal part) with 'tales' (stories) in writing.
- In coin toss: saying 'head or tail' instead of the fixed phrase 'heads or tails'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'tails' NOT typically refer to a part of an animal?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'tails' is the plural of 'tail'. The singular is 'tail'. However, in the fixed phrase 'heads or tails', 'tails' is treated as a singular concept (the reverse side of the coin).
In formal wear, 'tails' is short for 'tailcoat', a coat with a long back divided into two 'tails'. The term is almost always plural in this context.
Yes, but as the third person singular present tense of the verb 'to tail', meaning to follow closely (e.g., 'He tails the suspect'). The base form is 'tail'.
It's a traditional phrase. 'Heads' refers to the side of the coin with a head (monarch, president, etc.), and 'tails' refers to the opposite side, which often features an emblem, animal, or design—metaphorically the 'tail' end or reverse.