dovetail
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8 ENTRIES FOUND:

1dove·tail

noun \ˈdəv-ˌtāl\

Definition of DOVETAIL

: 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)

Illustration of DOVETAIL

First Known Use of DOVETAIL

1573

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

2dovetail

verb

Definition of DOVETAIL

transitive verb
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
intransitive verb
: to fit together into a whole

Examples of DOVETAIL

  1. <the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all>

First Known Use of DOVETAIL

circa 1656

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