tayl

Middle English

Alternative forms

• tayle, tayll, tæȝel, tail, taile, teil, taille, tayil

Etymology

From Old English tæġl, from Proto-Germanic *taglą, *taglaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛi̯l/, /ˈtɛi̯əl/
• Rhymes: -ɛi̯l

Noun

tayl (plural tayles)

1. A tail (caudal appendage at the back of an animal).
2. The back side or reverse of a creature:
   1. The region around the tailbone of a human; the rear.
   2. The feathers around a bird's hindquarters.
3. A line or array; an extension:
   1. A line or array of stars in the night sky.
   2. A shoot or branch of a plant.
   3. The portion of a piece of clothing which drags on the floor.
   4. The rearguard of an army; the hind portion of a military force.
   5. The followers accompanying an army.
4. The end or point of something; the thinnest part of something.
5. (euphemistic) One's genitalia or nether regions.
6. (rare) The result or fruit of something; the effects of something.
7. (rare) A drainage canal for a water-powered mill.

Derived terms

• taylarde
• tayled
• taylende

Descendants

• English: tail
• Scots: tail, tale

References

• “tail (n.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-08-12.