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dovetail

American  
[duhv-teyl] / ˈdʌvˌteɪl /

noun

Carpentry.

  1. a tenon broader at its end than at its base; pin.

  2. a joint formed of one or more such tenons fitting tightly within corresponding mortises.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. Carpentry. to join or fit together by means of a dovetail or dovetails.

  2. to join or fit together compactly or harmoniously.

dovetail British  
/ ˈdʌvˌteɪl /

noun

  1. a wedge-shaped tenon

  2. Also called: dovetail joint.  a joint containing such tenons

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to join by means of dovetails

  2. to fit or cause to fit together closely or neatly

    he dovetailed his arguments to the desired conclusion
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • dovetailer noun

Etymology

Origin of dovetail

First recorded in 1555–65; so named from its shape

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The two themes also dovetail neatly with the AI diffusion into the defense industries.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

And when these apparitions vanish, the text’s overriding theme—of life’s evanescence but also its beauty—does finally dovetail with the ghostly images created by the technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

The deals also dovetail with China's investments in infrastructure in the region.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

But the movie’s verité style of thumbnail portraiture doesn’t always dovetail neatly with the other elements: the unloading of facts, getting those drone shots in and projecting a thriller-like atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025

He expected his story to dovetail into milkwarm commiseration, but before Nel could excrete it, Sula said she didn’t know about that—it looked like a pretty good life to her.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.