| dragon's tail | See Dragon's blood, Dragon's head, etc, under Dragon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| tail | 1. <zoology> The terminal, and usually flexible, posterior appendage of an animal. The tail of mammals and reptiles contains a series of movable vertebrae, 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 vertebrae 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. 2. Any long, flexible terminal appendage; whatever resembles, in shape or position, the tail of an animal, as a catkin. "Doretus writes a great praise of the distilled waters of those tails that hang on willow trees." (Harvey) 3. Hence, the back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything, as opposed to the head, or the superior part. "The Lord will make thee the head, and not the tail." (Deut. Xxviii. 13) 4. A train or company of attendants; a retinue. ""Ah," said he, "if you saw but the chief with his tail on."" (Sir W. Scott) 5. The side of a coin opposite to that which bears the head, effigy, or date; the reverse; rarely used except in the expression "heads or tails," employed when a coin is thrown up for the purpose of deciding some point by its fall. 6. <anatomy> The distal tendon of a muscle. 7. <botany> A downy or feathery appendage to certain achens. It is formed of the permanent elongated style. 8. <surgery> A portion of an incision, at its beginning or end, which does not go through the whole thickness of the skin, and is more painful than a complete incision; called also tailing. One of the strips at the end of a bandage formed by splitting the bandage one or more times. 9. A rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which it may be lashed to anything. 10. The part of a note which runs perpendicularly upward or downward from the head; the stem. 11. Same as Tailing. 12. The bottom or lower portion of a member or part, as a slate or tile. 13. <chemical> See Tailing. Tail beam. Same as Tailpiece. <astronomy> Tail of a comet, 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) Origin: AS. Taegel, taegl; akin to G. Zagel, Icel. Tagl, Sw. Tagel, Goth. Tagl hair. 59. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tail bone | <anatomy> The last bone of the spinal column, sometimes referred to as man's vestigial tail. The last portion of the vertebral column just below the sacrum. (27 Sep 1997) |
| tail bud | The rapidly proliferating mass of cells at the caudal extremity of the embryo; remnant of the primitive node. Synonym: end bud. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail fold | The ventral folding of the caudal extremity of the embryonic disk. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail of caudate nucleus | The elongated posterior extension of the caudate nucleus that parallels the body and inferior horn of the lateral ventricle. Synonym: cauda nuclei caudati, cauda striati. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail of dentate gyrus | A slender whitish band, the attenuated anterior continuation of the dentate gyrus (fascia dentata), crossing transversally the surface of the recurved part of the uncus gyri parahippocampalis. Synonym: band of Giacomini, cauda fasciae dentatae, frenulum of Giacomini, tail of dentate gyrus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail of epididymis | The inferior part of the epididymis that leads into the ductus deferens; part of the reservoir of spermatozoa. Synonym: cauda epididymidis, cauda epididymis, globus minor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail of helix | A flattened process terminating the cartilage of the helix of the ear, posteriorly and inferiorly. Synonym: cauda helicis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail of pancreas | The left extremity of the pancreas within the lienorenal ligament. Synonym: cauda pancreatis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail sheath | The protoplasmic envelope in the tail of a spermatozoon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tail-specific protease | <enzyme> Selectively degrades proteins with nonpolar c termini Registry number: EC 3.4.99.- Synonym: tsp protease, prc protein, prc gene product (26 Jun 1999) |
| tail vertebrae | The four terminal segments of the vertebral column, usually fused to form the coccyx. Synonym: vertebrae coccygeae, tail vertebrae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| teeter-tail | <zoology> The spotted sandpiper. See the Note under Sandpiper. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| triple-tail | <zoology> An edible fish (Lobotes Surinamensis) found in the warmer parts of all the oceans, and common on the southern and middle coasts of the United States. When living it is silvery gray, and becomes brown or blackish when dead. Its dorsal and anal fins are long, and extend back on each side of the tail. It has large silvery scales which are used in the manufacture of fancy work. Synonym:, locally, black perch, grouper, and flasher. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |