dovetail
[ duhv-teyl ]
/ ˈdʌvˌteɪl /
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noun Carpentry.
a tenon broader at its end than at its base; pin.
a joint formed of one or more such tenons fitting tightly within corresponding mortises.
verb (used with or without object)
Carpentry. to join or fit together by means of a dovetail or dovetails.
to join or fit together compactly or harmoniously.
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Origin of dovetail
First recorded in 1555–65; so named from its shape
OTHER WORDS FROM dovetail
dovetailer, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use dovetail in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for dovetail
dovetail
/ (ˈdʌvˌteɪl) /
noun
a wedge-shaped tenon
Also called: dovetail joint a joint containing such tenons
verb
(tr) to join by means of dovetails
to fit or cause to fit together closely or neatlyhe dovetailed his arguments to the desired conclusion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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