dovetail

1 of 2

noun

dove·​tail ˈdəv-ˌtāl 

: 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

• 1 mortises
• 2 tenons
• 3 joint

dovetail

2 of 2

verb

dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails

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

Synonyms of dovetail

Verb

• coincide
• correspond
• conform
• fit

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

Noun

Improvements in blood tests, meanwhile, dovetail with rapid developments in treatments for various cancers, making the disease ever more survivable or even curable. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 22 June 2026

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

Verb

Coverage of the story dovetailed with a hail of memes and insinuations online that Crockett is a zealot or a pretend cowboy out of his depth. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Completion is expected in 2041, which dovetails with the expiry of the commission’s contract with the city, officials said. — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1657, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for dovetail

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids 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 verb

1

a

: to join by means of dovetails

b

: to cut to a dovetail

2

: to fit skillfully together to form a whole