Meanings
plural dovetails · alternative dove-tail · alternative dufftail
- The tail of a dove (family Columbidae); also, something having the shape of a dove's tail.
1 more example
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 narrovv vvhere they meet together; that is to ſay, of the ſhape of a Dove-tail: […]
1694, John Narborough; Jasmen Tasman [i.e., Abel Tasman]; John Wood; Frederick Marten [i.e., Friedrich Martens], “[The Voyage into Spitzbergen and Greenland] Of the Crustaceous Fish that I Observed”, in [probably Tancred Robinson], editor, An Account of Several Late Voyages & Discoveries to the South and North. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, 4th part, section V (Of the Star-fish), pages 118–119 - attributiveoftenartsIn 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.
With a warding file cut a dovetail on each of the ends to be joined, as shown by Fig. 1.
1900, “Brazing Keys”, in Paul N[ooncree] Hasluck, editor, Cassell’s Cyclopædia of Mechanics […] (First Series), London; Paris: Cassell and Company, […], →OCLC, page 311, column 13 more examples
[T]heſe muſt be joined at Bottom to the Piles by a ſtrong Dove-tail, and the Piles joined vvith Braces; […]
1733, Philip Miller, “WINE-PRESS”, in The Gardeners Dictionary: […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC, column 1After 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.
[1921], [William Fairham], “The Dovetail Joint”, in Woodwork Joints: How They are Set Out, How Made and Where Used; […], Philadelphia, Pa.; London: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC, page 123DOVETAIL joints, well known for their strength, have long been used in fine cabinet work. Nowadays they are frequently displaced by other types of joints that are easier to make with power tools, but where a self-locking joint is needed for use without glue, the dovetail is unsurpassed.
1944 April, Edwin M. Love, “Handmade Dovetails”, in Charles McLendon, editor, The Popular Science Monthly, volume 144, number 4, New York, N.Y.: Popular Science Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 151, column 1Synonyms: culvertail, fantail, swallowtail
- attributiveoftenartsA 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.
- governmentA line resembling a dovetail joint (sense 2.1).
The ninth is Quarterly per Pale dovetail, Ruby and Topaz; born by the Right Hon. Thomas Bromley, Lord Montfort, &c.
1765, Mark Anthony Porny [pseudonym; Antoine Pyron du Martre], “Of the Charges. Article I. Of Honourable Ordinaries.”, in The Elements of Heraldry, […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, section II (Of the Pale), page 472 more examples
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: […]
1722, Alexander Nisbet, “Of the Points and Parts of the Shield; and Forms of Lines, which Divide the Shield into Several Parts”, in A System of Heraldry Speculative and Practical: […], Edinburgh: […] J. MackEuen, →OCLC, page 23ASSEMBLEE, [in Heraldry,] a Dovetail or more to hold the tvvo Parts of the Eſcutcheon together, vvhere the Partition Line is, being countercharged, is ſome of the Metal and ſome of the Colour of the Eſcutcheon.
1736, John Harris, “ASSEMBLEE”, in Lexicon Technicum: Or, An Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: […], 5th edition, volume I, London: […] J. Walthoe, […], →OCLC, column 2
present singular third person dovetails · participle present dovetailing · participle past dovetailed · past dovetailed · alternative dove-tail
- transitiveartsTo 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; […]
1733, Philip Miller, “WINE-PRESS”, in The Gardeners Dictionary: […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC, column 21 more example
In house-building it is further forbidden [by Sultan Muhammed Shah] to dovetail or make the ends of the timbers (e.g. of the roof) fit accurately together, and also to build two verandahs, one on each side of the house, with their floors on a level with the floor of the main building; if two verandahs are used, the floor of one must be lower than that of the main building (kelek anak).
1900, Walter William Skeat, “Man and His Place in the Universe”, in Malay Magic: Being an Introduction to the Folklore and Popular Religion of the Malay Peninsula, London: Macmillan and Co.; New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, footnote 1, page 33 - figurativelytransitiveTo combine or fit (things) together well.
Through my new project, I dovetail my interests in botany and programming.
4 more examples
The executive board dovetailed its decision neatly with the prior projects the company had taken up.
Close contacts are also maintained between the chief operating officers of the railways and the movement and transport officers of the Service departments to dovetail railway transport into the schemes of the fighting forces.
1943 March–April, John R. Hind, “The British Railways at War”, in The Railway Magazine, Sutton, London: IPC Transport Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 95I felt that through the combined study of psychology and linguistics I would find out how children learned language, and that I would be able to dovetail this knowledge into my business career in Japan.
1988, Kenji Hakuta, “Why Bilinguals?”, in Frank S. Kessel, editor, The Development of Language and Language Researchers: Essays in Honor of Roger Brown, Hillsdale, N.J.; Hove, East Sussex: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, →ISBN, page 299This “markup shock” interpretation of the role of binding [constraints] dovetails well with related work by Bernanke and Blanchard (2023), which uses an empirical model to argue that product market shocks (which raise prices given wages) explain a large share of recent US inflation.
2024, Diego Comin, Robert C. Johnson, Callum Jones, Supply Chain Constraints and Inflation [preprint], p. 2 - figurativelytransitivecomputingTo 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.
2002, Nader H. Bshouty, Jeffrey C. Jackson, Christino Tamon, “Exploring Learnability between Exact and PAC”, in Jyrki Kivinen, Robert H. Sloan, editors, Computational Learning Theory: 15th Annual Conference on Computational Learning Theory, COLT 2002, Sydney, Australia, July 8–10, 2002: Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNAI); 2375; Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence), Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 248 - figurativelytransitiveentertainmentTo seamlessly move a melody from one instrument to another.
- figurativelyintransitiveOf several things: to combine or fit together well.
The parts of your essay should dovetail so that it is cohesive and coherent.
1 more example
The task now facing Mr Crook and his team in the multi-disciplinary programme is sequencing the works going forward, to ensure track, signalling, station works and overhead line installations dovetail together.
2019 October, Philip Sherratt, “Midland Main Line Upgrade Presses On”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 60 - intransitiveTo 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.
1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861
Synonyms & antonyms
nounIn 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.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna mortise joint formed by interlocking tenons and mortises
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
The noun is derived from dove + tail. The verb is derived from the noun.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πελεκῖνος
- πελεκῖνος (pelekînos)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
Arabic تَعْشِيقَة, عَشَّقَ
- تَعْشِيقَة (taʕšīqa)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
- عَشَّقَ (ʕaššaqa)to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- اِنْسَجَمَ مَعَ (insajama maʕa)to combine or fit (things) together well
- رَكَّبَ (rakkaba)to combine or fit (things) together well
- تَرَابَطَ بَيْنَ (tarābaṭa bayna)to combine or fit (things) together well
- تَوَافَقَ مَعَ (tawāfaqa maʕa)to combine or fit (things) together well
- تَوَاصَلَ مَعَ (tawāṣala maʕa)to combine or fit (things) together well
Catalan cua d'oreneta, cudornella
- cua d'orenetatype 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
- cudornellatype 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
Chinese Mandarin 燕尾榫, 嚴絲合縫 /严丝合缝
- 燕尾榫 (yànwěisǔn)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
- 嚴絲合縫 /严丝合缝 (yánsīhéfèng)of several things: to combine or fit together well
Czech čepování, rybina
- čepovánítype 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
- rybinatype 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
- klínová stínka(heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint
Dutch zwaluwstaart
- zwaluwstaarttype 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
Estonian kalasabatapp
- kalasabatapptype 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
Finnish kyyhkyn pyrstö, kyyhkysen pyrstö
- kyyhkyn pyrstötail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail
- kyyhkysen pyrstötail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail
- lohenpyrstötype 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
- lohenpyrstöliitostype 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
- sinkkaustype 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
- lohenpyrstövaarnatenon 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
- lohenpyrstö(heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint
- sinkatato unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- tehdä lohenpyrstöliitosto unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- sovittaa (hyvin yhteen)to combine or fit (things) together well
- lomittaa ajoato interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously
- limittää ajoato interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously
- sopia yhteen (hyvin)of several things: to combine or fit together well
French queue-d'aronde, assembler
- queue-d'arondetype 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
- assemblerto unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- imbriquerto unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- coïnciderto combine or fit (things) together well
- concorderto combine or fit (things) together well
- s'imbriquerto combine or fit (things) together well
German Schwalbenschwanz, Schwalbenschwanzverbindung
- Schwalbenschwanztype 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
- Schwalbenschwanzverbindungtype 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
- Verzahnungtype 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
- durch einen Schwalbenschwanz verbindento unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- aufeinander abgestimmt seinto combine or fit (things) together well
- aufeinander verzahnt seinto combine or fit (things) together well
- einpassento combine or fit (things) together well
- haargenau zu passen (etwas)to combine or fit (things) together well
- sich nahtlos zusammenfügento combine or fit (things) together well
- verschränkento combine or fit (things) together well
Hebrew זְנַבְיוֹן
- זְנַבְיוֹן (zanvion)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
Irish déad, déadalt
- déadtype 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
- déadalttype 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
Italian caletta
- calettatype 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
Japanese 蟻継ぎ, 蟻継ぎする
- 蟻継ぎ (aritsugi)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
- 蟻継ぎする (aritsugi suru)to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
Korean 사개
- 사개 (sagae)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
Latvian bezdelīgas astes savienojums, saskaņot
- bezdelīgas astes savienojumstype 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
- saskaņotto combine or fit (things) together well
Lithuanian letenėlė
- letenėlėtype 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
Norwegian Bokmål svalehale, svalehalesink
- svalehaletype 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
- svalehalesinktype 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
- svalehaleskjøttype 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
Persian اتصال دمچلچلهای
- اتصال دمچلچلهایtype 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
Polish ogon gołębia, jaskółczy ogon
- ogon gołębiatail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail
- jaskółczy ogontype 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
- rybi ogontype 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
- złącze płetwowetype 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
- jaskółcze złączetype 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
- jaskółczy ogontenon 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
- jaskółczy ogon(heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint
- łączyć na jaskółczy ogonto unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- złączyć na jaskółczy ogonto unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- łączyćto combine or fit (things) together well
- połączyćto combine or fit (things) together well
- dostosowywaćto combine or fit (things) together well
- dostosowaćto combine or fit (things) together well
- przeplataćto interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously
- przepleśćto interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously
- łączyćof several things: to combine or fit together well
- połączyćof several things: to combine or fit together well
- dostosowywaćof several things: to combine or fit together well
- dostosowaćof several things: to combine or fit together well
Portuguese cauda de andorinha, ensambladura em cauda de andorinha
- cauda de andorinhatype 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
- ensambladura em cauda de andorinhatype 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
- união em cauda de andorinhatype 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
Russian ла́сточкин хво́ст, согласо́вываться
- ла́сточкин хво́ст (lástočkin xvóst)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
- согласо́вываться (soglasóvyvatʹsja)to combine or fit (things) together well
- соотве́тствовать (sootvétstvovatʹ)to combine or fit (things) together well
- пригоня́ть (prigonjátʹ)to combine or fit (things) together well
- пригна́ть (prignátʹ)to combine or fit (things) together well
Scottish Gaelic amaladh
- amaladhtype 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
Spanish cola de milano, cola de pato
- cola de milanotype 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
- cola de patotype 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
- juntura serrátiltype 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
- machihembrarto unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint
- encajarto combine or fit (things) together well
- machihembrarto combine or fit (things) together well
Swedish laxstjärt, laxknut
- laxstjärttype 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
- laxknuttype 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
- laxstjärtskura(heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint
Tagalog bakám
- bakámtype 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
Turkish kurtağzı, kırlangıç kuyruğu
- kurtağzıtype 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
- kırlangıç kuyruğutype 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
Ukrainian пастівчин хвіст
- пастівчин хвіст (pastivčyn xvist)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
Welsh cynffon colomen, uniad cynffonnog
- cynffon colomentail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail
- uniad cynffonnogtype 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
- cydblethuto combine or fit (things) together well
- plethuto combine or fit (things) together well
- asioto combine or fit (things) together well
- cydblethuto interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously
- cydblethuof several things: to combine or fit together well
- ymblethuof several things: to combine or fit together well
- ymdoddiof several things: to combine or fit together well
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
dovetail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dovetail
“dovetail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dovetail. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dovetail,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dovetail.
Source: dovetail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.