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shavetail

[ sheyv-teyl ]
/ ˈʃeɪvˌteɪl /
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noun Slang.
U.S. Army. a second lieutenant.
a young, newly broken mule.
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Origin of shavetail

1840–50, Americanism;shave + tail1; originally in reference to unbroken army mules, whose tails were shaved for identification
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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