rattail
Americannoun
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a hairstyle in which a distinct thin section of hair grows from the base of the skull in the back, often extending several inches or more down the neck.
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such a thin section of hair growing from the base of the skull.
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Etymology
Origin of rattail
First recorded in 1695–1705
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.
Quaritch, who now resembles a Na’vi himself with a flat top over his whipping rattail, still remains the series’ most entertaining character by far.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025
"The girl had a rattail and I really wanted one of those," she told the Guinness World of Records.
From BBC • Sep. 1, 2023
Fishlock’s cropped hairstyle had a strand that looked like a rattail to Barnes, hence the nickname.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2022
Handled combs, like the wide-tooth and rattail, were the most ergonomically pleasing.
From Slate • Feb. 22, 2019
The teeth were rusty and dull and he sat in front of the fire with a rattail file and tried to sharpen them but to little purpose.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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.
