rattail
Americannoun
-
-
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.
-
such a thin section of hair growing from the base of the skull.
-
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
I thought his skull earring looked stupid with the beaded rattail he had cultivated—like he was trying too hard to be a pirate or something.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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.
