Illustration of dovetail
- 1 mortises
- 2 tenons
- 3 joint
: something resembling a dove's tail
especially
: a flaring tenon and a mortise into which it fits tightly making an interlocking joint between two pieces (as of wood)
dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails
1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
a
: to fit skillfully to form a whole
b
: to fit together with
: to fit together into a whole
Examples of dovetail in a Sentence
Verb
the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The emphasis on family dovetails with a previous statement from showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar that revealed the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season.
—EW.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Jack Bantock, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Armani’s sleek tailoring and unfussy silhouettes dovetailed with Diana’s new chapter as an independent woman and global humanitarian.
—Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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Noun
The favorable comparisons to internet sweepstakes cafés drawn throughout the prospectus dovetail with recent reporting by The Australian Financial Review.
—Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The emphasis on family dovetails with a previous statement from showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar that revealed the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season.
—EW.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
During a familiarly frenetic summer of incomings and outgoings (hat tip Strasbourg) at Chelsea, new recruit Joao Pedro has made a dream start to life in West London, already dovetailing well with compatriot and teenage star Estevao.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Armani’s sleek tailoring and unfussy silhouettes dovetailed with Diana’s new chapter as an independent woman and global humanitarian.
—Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dovetail
1 of 2 noun
dove·tail
-ˌtāl 
: something shaped like a dove's tail
especially
: a joint between two pieces (as of wood) formed by a wedge-shaped part that fits tightly into a wedge-shaped slot in the other piece
dovetail
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
: to fit skillfully together to form a whole
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