tailor

1
[ tey-ler ]
/ ˈteɪ lər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tailor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person whose occupation is the making, mending, or altering of clothes, especially suits, coats, and other outer garments.

verb (used with object)

to make by tailor's work.
to fashion or adapt to a particular taste, purpose, need, etc.: to tailor one's actions to those of another.
to fit or furnish with clothing.
Chiefly U.S. Military. to make (a uniform) to order; cut (a ready-made uniform) so as to cause to fit more snugly; taper.

verb (used without object)

to do the work of a tailor.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of tailor

1
1250–1300; Middle English (noun) < Anglo-French tailour, Old French tailleor, equivalent to taill(ier) to cut (< Late Latin tāliāre, derivative of Latin tālea a cutting, literally, heel-piece; see tally) + -or -or2

Words nearby tailor

tailings, taille, tailleferre, tailleur, taillight, tailor, tailor's bunion, tailor's chalk, tailor's muscle, tailor's-tack, tailor-made

Definition for tailor (2 of 2)

tailor2
[ tey-ler ]
/ ˈteɪ lər /

noun British Dialect.

a stroke of a bell indicating someone's death; knell.

Origin of tailor

2
alteration by folk etymology of teller
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tailor

conform, fit, modify, accommodate, adapt, alter, dressmaker, outfitter, clothier, costumier, couturier, convert, cut, reconcile, dovetail, quadrate, style, shape, fashion, square

Example sentences from the Web for tailor

British Dictionary definitions for tailor

tailor
/ (ˈteɪlə) /

noun

a person who makes, repairs, or alters outer garments, esp menswearRelated adjective: sartorial
a voracious and active marine food fish, Pomatomus saltator, of Australia with scissor-like teeth

verb

to cut or style (material, clothes, etc) to satisfy certain requirements
(tr) to adapt so as to make suitable for something specifiche tailored his speech to suit a younger audience
(intr) to follow the occupation of a tailor

Word Origin for tailor

C13: from Anglo-Norman taillour, from Old French taillier to cut, from Latin tālea a cutting; related to Greek talis girl of marriageable age
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