Meanings
noundevil's tail (plural devil's tails)
plural devil's tails
- ScotlandA cooper’s knocker-up; a tool used to lift or level a cask head from inside the cask.
Synonyms: knocker-up, knocker-upper, jumper
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA cooper’s knocker-up; a tool used to lift or level a cask head from inside the cask.
Origin
From devil + tail; applied in Scotland to a cooper’s “knocking-up” tool (cask-head lifter).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
devil's tail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devil's%20tail
MLA
“devil's tail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devil's%20tail. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “devil's tail,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devil's%20tail.
Source: devil's tail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.