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
Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
There's just something about old furniture that showcases wood with dovetail joinery and a perfect patina, evoking a cozy sense of nostalgia.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Lacey Howard, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
This move proudly dovetails with a broader effort in the US to repackage the right as transgressive and rule-bending rather than conservative and tradition-bound.
—Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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Noun
Look for solid-wood pieces with clean lines and signs of thoughtful construction, such as dovetail joinery.
—Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
There's just something about old furniture that showcases wood with dovetail joinery and a perfect patina, evoking a cozy sense of nostalgia.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Whether the nook is an architectural standout or an optical illusion of ingenuity, make the space shine with a color scheme that dovetails with your style.
—Lacey Howard, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
This move proudly dovetails with a broader effort in the US to repackage the right as transgressive and rule-bending rather than conservative and tradition-bound.
—Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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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