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Showing results for "tails"
  • present tense form of tail (3rd person singular).
Search instead for spails.
Synonyms

tails

American  
[teylz] / teɪlz /

adjective

  1. (of a coin) with the reverse facing up.

    On the next toss, the coin came up tails.


noun

  1. tailcoat.

tails British  
/ teɪlz /

plural noun

  1. an informal name for tail coat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. with the reverse side of a coin uppermost: used as a call before tossing a coin Compare heads

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tails

First recorded in 1675–85; tail 1 + -s 1

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.

See Examples For:

A great many dogs run up to me, tails wagging, tongues lolling.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2026

Gotham is able to distinguish between the animals largely thanks to "fluke prints": whales have unique patterns on the underside of their tails, similar to human fingerprints, St. Lawrence explained.

From Barron's Aug. 18, 2026

“While there may not be an immediate catalyst to exit the carry trade, the tails are fat and the probability for regime shift remains higher than usual.”

From MarketWatch Jul. 2, 2026

That old rigged coin has long come into play against them: heads they lose, tails they also lose.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 29, 2026

Whistling fireworks shriek across the sky, long tails of light streaking behind them like shooting stars.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

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