dovetail
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
dovetail
- /ˈdʌvteɪl/ UK
- /ˈdʌvˌteɪl/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from dove + tail. The verb is derived from the noun.
noun dovetails · dove-tail · dufftail
- The tail of a dove (family Columbidae); also, something having the shape of a dove's tail. Beſides this, another fine Starfiſh came to my Hands, […] Its body hath ten corners, and it hath a Star above vvith as many Rays; each of theſe one may compare unto a Sail of the VVindmills that the Children run againſt the VVind vvithal, or to a piece of ſuch Croſſes that are broad before, and narr
-
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.
[T]heſe muſt be joined at Bottom to the Piles by a ſtrong Dove-tail, and the Piles joined vvith Braces; […]
Similar: culvertail, fantail, swallowtail
- 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.
- A line resembling a dovetail joint (sense 2.1). I ſhall add other tvvo Forms of Lines, […] The firſt of theſe tvvo is termed Patee, or Dove-Tail, from a Form of Art uſed by Joiners, vvho make Joints one into the other by that Name: […]
verb dovetails · dovetailing · dovetailed · dove-tail
- To unite (components) with a dovetail (noun sense 2.1) or similar joint. [T]heſe Piles ought to be placed contrary to the Stillings, vvhich ſurround or croſs them every three Feet, and Dove-tail'd into the ſquare Supporters; […]
- To combine or fit (things) together well. The executive board dovetailed its decision neatly with the prior projects the company had taken up.
- To interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously. However, we can construct a single master algorithm M that DPExact learns from unknown distribution D by simply dovetailing the algorithms A. The precise way in which we dovetail the algorithms depends on whether our goal is time or query efficiency.
- To seamlessly move a melody from one instrument to another.
- Of several things: to combine or fit together well. The parts of your essay should dovetail so that it is cohesive and coherent.
- To adapt to something; to fit in. If I have a row with any fellow, he’s always the first to taunt me with being what he and his friends have made me. I don’t feel it so much now. I used to at first. One dovetails into all that sort of thing in time, and the edge of your feelings, as I may say, wears off by degrees.
Translations
Every language
noun 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 co
| Español | cola de milano, cola de pato, juntura serrátil |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 사개 sagae |
| 日本語 | 蟻継ぎ aritsugi |
| 中文 | 燕尾榫 yànwěisǔn |
| Português | cauda de andorinha, ensambladura em cauda de andorinha, união em cauda de andorinha |
| Français | queue-d'aronde |
| Deutsch | Schwalbenschwanz, Schwalbenschwanzverbindung, Verzahnung |
| Italiano | caletta |
| Русский | ла́сточкин хво́ст lástočkin xvóst |
| العربية | تَعْشِيقَة taʕšīqa |
| עברית | זְנַבְיוֹן zanvion |
verb to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
| Español | machihembrar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 蟻継ぎする aritsugi suru |
| Français | assembler, imbriquer |
| Deutsch | durch einen Schwalbenschwanz verbinden |
| العربية | عَشَّقَ ʕaššaqa |
verb to combine or fit (things) together well
| Español | encajar, machihembrar |
|---|---|
| Français | coïncider, concorder, s'imbriquer |
| Deutsch | aufeinander abgestimmt sein, aufeinander verzahnt sein, einpassen, haargenau zu passen (etwas), sich nahtlos zusammenfügen, verschränken |
| Русский | согласо́вываться soglasóvyvatʹsja, соотве́тствовать sootvétstvovatʹ, пригоня́ть prigonjátʹ, пригна́ть prignátʹ |
| العربية | اِنْسَجَمَ مَعَ insajama maʕa, رَكَّبَ rakkaba, تَرَابَطَ بَيْنَ tarābaṭa bayna, تَوَافَقَ مَعَ tawāfaqa maʕa, تَوَاصَلَ مَعَ tawāṣala maʕa |
verb of several things: to combine or fit together well
| 中文 | 嚴絲合縫 /严丝合缝 yánsīhéfèng |
|---|
Talk about this word "dovetail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dovetail. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dovetail. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dovetail "dovetail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dovetail.
Cite this
MLA
APA
Chicago
BibTeX
@misc{dovetail_2026,
title = {dovetail},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dovetail},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
