tails

American  

[teylz] / teɪlz /

adjective

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

   On the next toss, the coin came up tails.

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noun

1. tailcoat.

tails British  

/ teɪlz /

plural noun

1. an informal name for tail coat

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interjection

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

Etymology

Origin of tails

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

Example Sentences

My parents were left with a choice: Move back to Argentina with their tails between their legs, or start again where they were.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

England will start the tournament with their tails up after beating co-hosts Sri Lanka in both one-day international and T20 series -- they have lost just one T20 series since the 2024 World Cup.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

While these models successfully describe simple, comet-like gas tails, they struggle to recreate the double-tailed structure observed around WASP-121b.

From Science Daily • Jan. 20, 2026

In 1963 a “Gentleman’s C” was common, but students had to work their tails off to get a B. A’s were rare: only 10% of marks in 1963.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

Inside, the grooms were brushing down beautiful, glossy horses, or cleaning their polished hooves, or braiding their long tails.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• cloak
• frock
• jacket
• overcoat
• raincoat
• suit
• tuxedo
• windbreaker
• wrap