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rattail

American  
[rat-teyl] / ˈrætˌteɪl /
Or rat-tail

noun

    1. 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.

    2. such a thin section of hair growing from the base of the skull.

  1. grenadier.


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

But no amount of gauche rattail wigs and zipped-up wind-breakers can make this show the artistic risk or the expression of vulnerability that Tesfaye seems to think it is.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2023

Fishlock’s cropped hairstyle had a strand that looked like a rattail to Barnes, hence the nickname.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2022

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

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