tailor

¹ 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 ² American  

[tey-ler] / ˈteɪ lər /

noun

British Dialect.

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

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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

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”; see tally) + -or -or ²

Origin of tailor²

Alteration by folk etymology of teller

Explanation

A tailor helps make your clothes fit you better. Similarly, when you tailor something to the needs of others, you are adjusting what you do to best suit them rather than taking a general approach. The word tailor comes from the Latin taliare, meaning "to cut." A tailor is someone who cuts and adjusts your clothing to better fit. When you tailor a jacket, you have it taken in to better suit your physique. But tailor isn't used strictly in reference to clothing. For example, a restaurant might tailor an order for a vegetarian by getting rid of the meat in a portion. A teacher might tailor a lesson plan to the demands of her ESL students.

Example Sentences

He says that before his arrest he was training to become a tailor and would have finished by now and set up his own business.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Pitt is one of a handful of academic medical centers with special rehabilitation programs that aim to pinpoint the cause of vertigo, and tailor rehab to the patient.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

But Yusuf Bagana, a tailor who survived the strike, said it was operating normally.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

He has brought that sports coat around the world in the last year, but was too protective of it to have it dry cleaned or have a tailor change a stitch of it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Esteban walked quickly with his big strides, practically dragging Clara behind him, without noticing the dirty water that was spattering his impeccable gray trousers from the English tailor.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

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