dovetail

¹dove·tail

noun \ˈdəv-ˌtāl\

: a type of joint that is used to connect two pieces of wood together

Full 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)

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Illustration of DOVETAIL

First Known Use of DOVETAIL

1573

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

Rhymes with DOVETAIL

abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, avail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, female, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, prevail, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, telltale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, travail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, wholesale, yard sale

²dovetail

verb

: to join (two pieces of wood) with dovetail joints

: to fit together in a pleasing or satisfying way

Full 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

Related to DOVETAIL

Synonyms

accord, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, check, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (also rime), sort, square, tally

Antonyms

differ (from), disagree (with)

Related Words

equal, match, parallel; align (also aline), line up, register

Near Antonyms

contradict, dispute, gainsay; negate, nullify; clash, conflict, jar