draggle-tail

[ drag-uhl-teyl ]

/ ˈdræg əlˌteɪl /

Save This Word!

noun

slut; slattern.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

Origin of draggle-tail

First recorded in 1590–1600; draggle + tail¹

The young man had the presence of mind to tail Gaylard Williams out of the park and jot down his license plate.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But two things are clear in this tail-eater of a case: First, there seems to be plenty of guilt but hardly a criminal in sight.
Wrongly Imprisoned for 15 Years Thanks to an Innocence Project|Jacob Siegel|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We thought that Sonny was inspiring us and he was out there and responding and sweating and playing his tail off.
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth|David Yaffe|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A spokeswoman adds that, in the baked flesh, it looks more like a lobster tail.
The Cronut Gives Way to the Penis Pretzel|Tim Teeman|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When it comes to food, are you an adventurous, nose-to-tail kind of eater?
Brits Are Very Fussy Eaters|Emma Woolf|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The dog stood with hanging head and tail, as if ashamed he had let so many of his enemies get away unharmed.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The Arab pricked his ears, swished his long and arched tail viciously, and showed the whites of his eyes.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
It was no worm that Mrs. Robin had found, but Grandfather Mole's hairless tail sticking out of the ground.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
And there shall be no work for Egypt, to make head or tail, him that bendeth down, or that holdeth back.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
That was not the exact word that he used, but he expressed it by beating his tail against the table and giving a long howl.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd