tailor

¹ American  

[tey-ler] / ˈteɪ lər /

noun

British Dialect.

1. a stroke of a bell indicating someone's death; knell.

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tailor ² American  

[tey-ler] / ˈteɪ lər /

noun

1. a person whose occupation is the making, mending, or altering of clothes, especially suits, coats, and other outer garments.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make by tailor's work.

2. to fashion or adapt to a particular taste, purpose, need, etc..

   to tailor one's actions to those of another.

3. to fit or furnish with clothing.

4. Chiefly U.S. Military. to make (a uniform) to order; cut (a ready-made uniform) so as to cause to fit more snugly; taper.

verb (used without object)

1. to do the work of a tailor.

tailor British  

/ ˈteɪlə /

noun

1. a person who makes, repairs, or alters outer garments, esp menswear

2. a voracious and active marine food fish, Pomatomus saltator, of Australia with scissor-like teeth

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verb

1. to cut or style (material, clothes, etc) to satisfy certain requirements

2. (tr) to adapt so as to make suitable for something specific

   he tailored his speech to suit a younger audience

3. (intr) to follow the occupation of a tailor

Etymology

Origin of tailor¹

Alteration by folk etymology of teller

Origin of tailor¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun), from Anglo-French tailour, Old French tailleor, from taill(ier) “to cut” (from Late Latin tāliāre, derivative of Latin tālea “rod, cutting,” literally, “heel-piece”; tally ) + -or -or ²

Example Sentences

He stands in the doorway in his tailored suit, arms crossed, watching us.

From Literature

By making it possible to detect early signs of cardiovascular risk, the technology could allow doctors to act sooner, tailor treatments more precisely, and support better long-term heart health.

From Science Daily

"It looked almost as if it was a tailor's dummy lying there, it didn't really register with me."

From BBC

These microscopic particles can be tailored to attach to specific disease-related proteins and break them down.

From Science Daily

Once designated, the CMA has the power to draw up a tailored set of obligations for them to follow.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accommodate
• adapt
• alter
• conform
• fit
• modify