Tailing

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Tail \Tail\, n. [AS. taegel, taegl; akin to G. zagel, Icel.
     tagl, Sw. tagel, Goth. tagl hair. [root]59.]
     1. (Zool.) The terminal, and usually flexible, posterior
        appendage of an animal.
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     Note: The tail of mammals and reptiles contains a series of
           movable vertebrae, and is covered with flesh and hairs
           or scales like those of other parts of the body. The
           tail of existing birds consists of several more or less
           consolidated vertebrae which supports a fanlike group
           of quills to which the term tail is more particularly
           applied. The tail of fishes consists of the tapering
           hind portion of the body ending in a caudal fin. The
           term tail is sometimes applied to the entire abdomen of
           a crustacean or insect, and sometimes to the terminal
           piece or pygidium alone.
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     2. Any long, flexible terminal appendage; whatever resembles,
        in shape or position, the tail of an animal, as a catkin.
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              Doretus writes a great praise of the distilled
              waters of those tails that hang on willow trees.
                                                    --Harvey.
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     3. Hence, the back, last, lower, or inferior part of
        anything, -- as opposed to the {head}, or the superior
        part.
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              The Lord will make thee the head, and not the tail.
                                                    --Deut.
                                                    xxviii. 13.
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     4. A train or company of attendants; a retinue.
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              "Ah," said he, "if you saw but the chief with his
              tail on."                             --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.
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     5. The side of a coin opposite to that which bears the head,
        effigy, or date; the reverse; -- rarely used except in the
        expression "heads or tails," employed when a coin is
        thrown up for the purpose of deciding some point by its
        fall.
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     6. (Anat.) The distal tendon of a muscle.
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     7. (Bot.) A downy or feathery appendage to certain achenes.
        It is formed of the permanent elongated style.
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     8. (Surg.)
        (a) A portion of an incision, at its beginning or end,
            which does not go through the whole thickness of the
            skin, and is more painful than a complete incision; --
            called also {tailing}.
        (b) One of the strips at the end of a bandage formed by
            splitting the bandage one or more times.
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     9. (Naut.) A rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which
        it may be lashed to anything.
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     10. (Mus.) The part of a note which runs perpendicularly
         upward or downward from the head; the stem. --Moore
         (Encyc. of Music).
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     11. pl. Same as {Tailing}, 4.
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     12. (Arch.) The bottom or lower portion of a member or part,
         as a slate or tile.
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     13. pl. (Mining) See {Tailing}, n., 5.
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     14. (Astronomy) the long visible stream of gases, ions, or
         dust particles extending from the head of a comet in the
         direction opposite to the sun.
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     15. pl. (Rope Making) In some forms of rope-laying machine,
         pieces of rope attached to the iron bar passing through
         the grooven wooden top containing the strands, for
         wrapping around the rope to be laid.
         [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     16. pl. A tailed coat; a tail coat. [Colloq. or Dial.]
         [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     17. (Aeronautics) In airplanes, an airfoil or group of
         airfoils used at the rear to confer stability.
         [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     18. the buttocks. [slang or vulgar]
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     19. sexual intercourse, or a woman used for sexual
         intercourse; as, to get some tail; to find a piece of
         tail. See also {tailing[3]}. [slang and vulgar]
         [PJC]
  
     {Tail beam}. (Arch.) Same as {Tailpiece}.
  
     {Tail coverts} (Zool.), the feathers which cover the bases of
        the tail quills. They are sometimes much longer than the
        quills, and form elegant plumes. Those above the quills
        are called the {upper tail coverts}, and those below, the
        {under tail coverts}.
  
     {Tail end}, the latter end; the termination; as, the tail end
        of a contest. [Colloq.]
  
     {Tail joist}. (Arch.) Same as {Tailpiece}.
  
     {Tail of a comet} (Astron.), a luminous train extending from
        the nucleus or body, often to a great distance, and
        usually in a direction opposite to the sun.
  
     {Tail of a gale} (Naut.), the latter part of it, when the
        wind has greatly abated. --Totten.
  
     {Tail of a lock} (on a canal), the lower end, or entrance
        into the lower pond.
  
     {Tail of the trenches} (Fort.), the post where the besiegers
        begin to break ground, and cover themselves from the fire
        of the place, in advancing the lines of approach.
  
     {Tail spindle}, the spindle of the tailstock of a turning
        lathe; -- called also {dead spindle}.
  
     {To turn tail}, to run away; to flee.
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              Would she turn tail to the heron, and fly quite out
              another way; but all was to return in a higher
              pitch.                                --Sir P.
                                                    Sidney.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Tailing \Tail"ing\, n.
     1. (Arch.) The part of a projecting stone or brick inserted
        in a wall. --Gwilt.
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     2. (Surg.) Same as {Tail}, n., 8
        (a) .
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     3. Sexual intercourse. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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     4. pl. The lighter parts of grain separated from the seed
        threshing and winnowing; chaff.
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     5. pl. (Mining) The refuse part of stamped ore, thrown behind
        the tail of the buddle or washing apparatus. It is dressed
        over again to secure whatever metal may exist in it.
        Called also {tails}. --Pryce.
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     6. (Elec.) A prolongation of current in a telegraph line, due
        to capacity in the line and causing signals to run
        together.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  tailing
       adj : following surreptitiously; keeping under surveillance;
             "always on guard against shadowing submarines" [syn: {shadowing}]
       n : the act of following someone secretly [syn: {shadowing}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  31 Moby Thesaurus words for "tailing":
     bugging, chasing, cloak-and-dagger work, counterespionage,
     counterintelligence, dogging, electronic surveillance, espial,
     espionage, following, heeling, hounding, intelligence,
     intelligence work, military intelligence, observation, pursual,
     pursuance, pursuit, secret police, secret service, sequel,
     sequence, series, shadowing, spying, stakeout, surveillance,
     trailing, wiretap, wiretapping