tail
tail
UK[teɪl]US[teɪl]
n
the part of an animal's body that extends from its back end
n
the back, last, or lower part of something
v
to follow and watch someone closely and secretly
Etymology
the word 'tail' originates from the old english 'tægl' or 'tægel', meaning the tail of an animal. it is traced back to the proto-germanic 'taglaz', which referred to hair, a ponytail, or the tail of an animal. this, in turn, derives from the proto-indo-european root 'dok-', meaning 'hair of the tail'. the semantic journey is straightforward, maintaining the core concept of a rear appendage, which later extended metaphorically to the rear or concluding part of any object or event.
Analysis
this is a simplex word of old english origin. it is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful parts within modern english spelling.
Examples
the dog wagged its tail excitedly.
we sat at the tail of the airplane.
the detective was hired to tail the suspect.