Dictionary

dovetail en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdʌvteɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdʌvˌteɪl/ (General-American)

Etymology

The noun is derived from dove + tail. The verb is derived from the noun.

Meanings

1. The tail of a dove (family Columbidae); also, something having the shape of a dove's tail.
   • Beſides this, another fine Starfiſh came to my Hands, […] Its body hath ten corners, and it hath a Star above vvith as many Rays; each of theſe one may compare unto a Sail of the VVindmills that the Children run againſt the VVind vvithal, or to a piece of ſuch Croſſes that are broad before, and narrovv vvhere they meet together; that is to ſay, of the ſhape of a Dove-tail: […] 1694, John Narborough; Jasmen Tasman [i.e., Abel Tasman]; John Wood; Frederick Marten [i.e., Friedrich Martens], “[The Voyage into Spitzbergen and Greenland] Of the Crustaceous Fish that I Observed”, in [probably Tancred Robinson], editor, An Account of Several Late Voyages & Discoveries to the South and North. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, 4th part, section V (Of the Star-fish), pages 118–119:
2. (attributive, often) In full dovetail joint: a type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove's tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes.
   • [T]heſe muſt be joined at Bottom to the Piles by a ſtrong Dove-tail, and the Piles joined vvith Braces; […] 1733, Philip Miller, “WINE-PRESS”, in The Gardeners Dictionary: […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC, column 1:
   • DOVETAIL joints, well known for their strength, have long been used in fine cabinet work. Nowadays they are frequently displaced by other types of joints that are easier to make with power tools, but where a self-locking joint is needed for use without glue, the dovetail is unsurpassed. 1944 April, Edwin M. Love, “Handmade Dovetails”, in Charles McLendon, editor, The Popular Science Monthly, volume 144, number 4, New York, N.Y.: Popular Science Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 151, column 1:
   • With a warding file cut a dovetail on each of the ends to be joined, as shown by Fig. 1. 1900, “Brazing Keys”, in Paul N[ooncree] Hasluck, editor, Cassell’s Cyclopædia of Mechanics […] (First Series), London; Paris: Cassell and Company, […], →OCLC, page 311, column 1:
   • After marking out the pins on the drawer sides, we proceed with the next operation, that is, sawing the dovetails ready for chopping out the waste material. [1921], [William Fairham], “The Dovetail Joint”, in Woodwork Joints: How They are Set Out, How Made and Where Used; […], Philadelphia, Pa.; London: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC, page 123:
3. (attributive, often) A tenon cut into a wedge shape resembling a dove's tail so that it interlocks with a mortise having a corresponding shape in a dovetail joint.
4. A line resembling a dovetail joint (sense 2.1).
   • The ninth is Quarterly per Pale dovetail, Ruby and Topaz; born by the Right Hon. Thomas Bromley, Lord Montfort, &c. 1765, Mark Anthony Porny [pseudonym; Antoine Pyron du Martre], “Of the Charges. Article I. Of Honourable Ordinaries.”, in The Elements of Heraldry, […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, section II (Of the Pale), page 47:
   • I ſhall add other tvvo Forms of Lines, […] The firſt of theſe tvvo is termed Patee, or Dove-Tail, from a Form of Art uſed by Joiners, vvho make Joints one into the other by that Name: […] 1722, Alexander Nisbet, “Of the Points and Parts of the Shield; and Forms of Lines, which Divide the Shield into Several Parts”, in A System of Heraldry Speculative and Practical: […], Edinburgh: […] J. MackEuen, →OCLC, page 23:
   • ASSEMBLEE, [in Heraldry,] a Dovetail or more to hold the tvvo Parts of the Eſcutcheon together, vvhere the Partition Line is, being countercharged, is ſome of the Metal and ſome of the Colour of the Eſcutcheon. 1736, John Harris, “ASSEMBLEE”, in Lexicon Technicum: Or, An Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: […], 5th edition, volume I, London: […] J. Walthoe, […], →OCLC, column 2:

Forms

Deriveds

dovetail joint

Relateds

finger joint

Synonyms

swallowtail · fantail · culvertail

Translations (62)

grc πελεκῖνος (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ka მაკრატელა (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pl jaskółczy ogon ((heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint) · sv laxstjärt (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · et kalasabatapp (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pl rybi ogon (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · de Verzahnung (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · nb svalehalesink (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ar تَعْشِيقَة (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · cs klínová stínka ((heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint) · nb svalehale (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · oc coa d'aronda (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · cs čepování (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fi sinkkaus (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · uk пастівчин хвіст (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ja 蟻継ぎ (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ca cudornella (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · es juntura serrátil (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · sv laxstjärtskura ((heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint) · fi kyyhkysen pyrstö (tail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail) · it caletta (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ko 사개 (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · cy cynffon colomen (tail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail) · pt ensambladura em cauda de andorinha (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fi lohenpyrstövaarna (tenon cut into a wedge shape resembling a dove's tail so that it interlocks with a mortise having a corresponding shape in a dovetail joint) · lt letenėlė (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fi lohenpyrstö ((heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint) · sv laxknut (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fi lohenpyrstöliitos (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ca cua d'oreneta (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · nl zwaluwstaart (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · de Schwalbenschwanzverbindung (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · cy uniad cynffonnog (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · lv bezdelīgas astes savienojums (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pl ogon gołębia (tail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail) · es cola de milano (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ga déadalt (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · mk ласто́вечка о́пашка (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · tr kırlangıç kuyruğu (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · cs rybina (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · nb svalehaleskjøt (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · de Schwalbenschwanz (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pt cauda de andorinha (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pl jaskółczy ogon (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ga déad (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ota قورت آغزی (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · he זְנַבְיוֹן (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fi lohenpyrstö (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pt união em cauda de andorinha (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · tr kurtağzı (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · cmn 燕尾榫 (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · gd amaladh (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · es cola de pato (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fr queue-d'aronde (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fa اتصال دمچلچلهای (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · ru ла́сточкин хво́ст (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · pl jaskółcze złącze (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · tl bakám (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · fi kyyhkyn pyrstö (tail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail) · pl złącze płetwowe (type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove’s tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes) · mk о́пашка од ласто́вица (tail of a dove; something having the shape of a dove’s tail) · pl jaskółczy ogon (tenon cut into a wedge shape resembling a dove's tail so that it interlocks with a mortise having a corresponding shape in a dovetail joint)

dovetail en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈdʌvteɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdʌvˌteɪl/ (General-American)

Etymology

The noun is derived from dove + tail. The verb is derived from the noun.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To unite (components) with a dovetail (noun sense 2.1) or similar joint.
   • [T]heſe Piles ought to be placed contrary to the Stillings, vvhich ſurround or croſs them every three Feet, and Dove-tail'd into the ſquare Supporters; […] 1733, Philip Miller, “WINE-PRESS”, in The Gardeners Dictionary: […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC, column 2:
   • In house-building it is further forbidden [by Sultan Muhammed Shah] to dovetail or make the ends of the timbers (e.g. of the roof) fit accurately together, and also to build two verandahs, one on each side of the house, with their floors on a level with the floor of the main building; if two verandahs are used, the floor of one must be lower than that of the main building (kelek anak). 1900, Walter William Skeat, “Man and His Place in the Universe”, in Malay Magic: Being an Introduction to the Folklore and Popular Religion of the Malay Peninsula, London: Macmillan and Co.; New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, footnote 1, page 33:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To combine or fit (things) together well.
   • The executive board dovetailed its decision neatly with the prior projects the company had taken up.
   • This “markup shock” interpretation of the role of binding [constraints] dovetails well with related work by Bernanke and Blanchard (2023), which uses an empirical model to argue that product market shocks (which raise prices given wages) explain a large share of recent US inflation. 2024, Diego Comin, Robert C. Johnson, Callum Jones, Supply Chain Constraints and Inflation [preprint], p. 2
   • I felt that through the combined study of psychology and linguistics I would find out how children learned language, and that I would be able to dovetail this knowledge into my business career in Japan. 1988, Kenji Hakuta, “Why Bilinguals?”, in Frank S. Kessel, editor, The Development of Language and Language Researchers: Essays in Honor of Roger Brown, Hillsdale, N.J.; Hove, East Sussex: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, →ISBN, page 299:
   • Through my new project, I dovetail my interests in botany and programming.
   • Close contacts are also maintained between the chief operating officers of the railways and the movement and transport officers of the Service departments to dovetail railway transport into the schemes of the fighting forces. 1943 March–April, John R. Hind, “The British Railways at War”, in The Railway Magazine, Sutton, London: IPC Transport Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 95:
3. (figuratively, transitive) To interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously.
   • However, we can construct a single master algorithm M that DPExact learns from unknown distribution D by simply dovetailing the algorithms A. The precise way in which we dovetail the algorithms depends on whether our goal is time or query efficiency. 2002, Nader H. Bshouty, Jeffrey C. Jackson, Christino Tamon, “Exploring Learnability between Exact and PAC”, in Jyrki Kivinen, Robert H. Sloan, editors, Computational Learning Theory: 15th Annual Conference on Computational Learning Theory, COLT 2002, Sydney, Australia, July 8–10, 2002: Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNAI); 2375; Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence), Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 248:
4. (figuratively, transitive) To seamlessly move a melody from one instrument to another.
5. (figuratively, intransitive) Of several things: to combine or fit together well.
   • The task now facing Mr Crook and his team in the multi-disciplinary programme is sequencing the works going forward, to ensure track, signalling, station works and overhead line installations dovetail together. 2019 October, Philip Sherratt, “Midland Main Line Upgrade Presses On”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 60:
   • The parts of your essay should dovetail so that it is cohesive and coherent.
6. (intransitive) To adapt to something; to fit in.
   • If I have a row with any fellow, he’s always the first to taunt me with being what he and his friends have made me. I don’t feel it so much now. I used to at first. One dovetails into all that sort of thing in time, and the edge of your feelings, as I may say, wears off by degrees. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:

Forms

Deriveds

dovetailer · dovetailed · dovetailing

Relateds

join

Translations (68)

de durch einen Schwalbenschwanz verbinden (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · oc apariar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · cmn 嚴絲合縫 /严丝合缝 (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · fr s'imbriquer (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ja 蟻継ぎする (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · ar رَكَّبَ (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fr coïncider (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ru согласо́вываться (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fi sinkata (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · fi limittää ajoa (to interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously) · pl łączyć (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · oc embessonar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · pl złączyć na jaskółczy ogon (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · fi sovittaa (hyvin yhteen) (to combine or fit (things) together well) · de aufeinander verzahnt sein (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ar تَوَافَقَ مَعَ (to combine or fit (things) together well) · de verschränken (to combine or fit (things) together well) · pl dostosowywać (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ar عَشَّقَ (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · pl łączyć na jaskółczy ogon (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · mk спо́и (to combine or fit (things) together well) · pl połączyć (to combine or fit (things) together well) · oc juntar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · oc ajustar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · cy ymblethu (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · fr assembler (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · oc jonchar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · oc concordar (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ar اِنْسَجَمَ مَعَ (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fr imbriquer (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · cy plethu (to combine or fit (things) together well) · mk се со́впаѓа (to combine or fit (things) together well) · es machihembrar (to combine or fit (things) together well) · de haargenau zu passen (etwas) (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ar تَرَابَطَ بَيْنَ (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ar تَوَاصَلَ مَعَ (to combine or fit (things) together well) · oc imbricar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · pl przepleść (to interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously) · ru пригоня́ть (to combine or fit (things) together well) · oc s'acordar (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fi lomittaa ajoa (to interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously) · cy cydblethu (to combine or fit (things) together well) · cy ymdoddi (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · lv saskaņot (to combine or fit (things) together well) · es encajar (to combine or fit (things) together well) · oc encastrar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · gl acantilar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · de sich nahtlos zusammenfügen (to combine or fit (things) together well) · pl połączyć (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · pl dostosowywać (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · cy asio (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fi tehdä lohenpyrstöliitos (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint) · cy cydblethu (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · de einpassen (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fr concorder (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ru пригна́ть (to combine or fit (things) together well) · pl dostosować (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · de aufeinander abgestimmt sein (to combine or fit (things) together well) · pl łączyć (to combine or fit (things) together well) · oc s'apariar (to combine or fit (things) together well) · pl dostosować (to combine or fit (things) together well) · cy cydblethu (to interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously) · pl przeplatać (to interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously) · mk усо́гласи (to combine or fit (things) together well) · ru соотве́тствовать (to combine or fit (things) together well) · oc coïncidir (to combine or fit (things) together well) · fi sopia yhteen (hyvin) (of several things: to combine or fit together well) · es machihembrar (to unite (components) with a dovetail or similar joint)