taille

[ teyl; French tah-yuh ]

/ teɪl; French ˈtɑ yə /

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noun, plural tailles

[teylz; French tah-yuh]. /teɪlz; French ˈtɑ yə/.

French History. a tax that was levied by a king or seigneur on his subjects or on lands held under him and that became solely a royal tax in the 15th century from which the lords and later the clergy were exempt.

(in dressmaking) the waist or bodice of a garment.

Obsolete. the shape of one's body from shoulders to waist; figure; build.

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Origin of taille

1545–55; <French: literally, a cutting; see tail²

Words nearby taille

tailgate, tailgater, tail-heavy, tailing, tailings, taille, Tailleferre, tailleur, taillight, tail off, tailor

How to use taille in a sentence

Her descendants have been exempted from the taille (poll tax)—a mean and shameful recompense!
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
I will have a garment reach to my taille; Then am I a minion, for I wear the new guise.
The Romany Rye|George Borrow
He said: "Elle n'est pas vraiment jolie, mais elle a une jolie taille, de beaux yeux, et des perles."
Overlooked|Maurice Baring
At their own request, the King imposed on them a new taille of three thousand livres.
The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2)|Anatole France

He substituted for personal service on the roads a yearly rate, proportional in amount to the taille.
Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 2 of 3)|John Morley

British Dictionary definitions for taille

taille

/ (taɪ, French tɑj) /

noun plural tailles (taɪ, taɪz, French tɑj)

(in France before 1789) a tax levied by a king or overlord on his subjects

Word Origin for taille

C17: from French, from Old French taillier to shape; see tailor

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