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
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026
Next, dovetail into the specific, observable behavior.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026
Leon’s birth in 1996 marked a significant shift in lyrical tone for Madonna, whose next album, 1998’s genre-redefining Ray of Light, engaged with existential themes of mortality, spirituality, and the greater cosmos that dovetailed with Madonna’s newfound role as a mother.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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Noun
The plans for Waterbury church campus, which includes supportive housing and other community services, dovetail with what the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board hopes to accomplish there.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026
Next, dovetail into the specific, observable behavior.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
The World Cup dovetails neatly with America’s 250th birthday celebrations here, including the Tall Ships Festival and the Boston Pops Semiquincentennial Spectacular.
—Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026
Leon’s birth in 1996 marked a significant shift in lyrical tone for Madonna, whose next album, 1998’s genre-redefining Ray of Light, engaged with existential themes of mortality, spirituality, and the greater cosmos that dovetailed with Madonna’s newfound role as a mother.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 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 19 Jun. 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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