Dovetail

Quick meaning: Dovetail is a noun meaning The tail of a dove (family Columbidae); also, something having the shape of a dove's tail.

Meaning

The tail of a dove (family Columbidae); also, something having the shape of a dove's tail.

More Meanings

1. (heraldry) A line resembling a dovetail joint (sense 2.1).
2. To unite (components) with a dovetail (noun sense 2.1) or similar joint.
3. To combine or fit (things) together well.
4. To interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously.
5. To seamlessly move a melody from one instrument to another.
6. In full dovetail joint: a type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove's tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes.
7. A tenon cut into a wedge shape resembling a dove's tail so that it interlocks with a mortise having a corresponding shape in a dovetail joint.

Example Sentences

With a warding file cut a dovetail on each of the ends to be joined, as shown by Fig. 1.

[T]heſe muſt be joined at Bottom to the Piles by a ſtrong Dove-tail, and the Piles joined vvith Braces; […]

The ninth is Quarterly per Pale dovetail, Ruby and Topaz; born by the Right Hon. Thomas Bromley, Lord Montfort, &c.

After marking out the pins on the drawer sides, we proceed with the next operation, that is, sawing the dovetails ready for chopping out the waste material.

Word Forms

• dovetails
• dove-tail
• dovetailing
• dovetailed

Synonyms for dovetail

Depending on context, synonyms include culvertail, fantail, swallowtail.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include notching, interface, converge, convergence, co-ordinate, correspond.

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