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fishtail

verb
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fish·​tail | \ ˈfish-ˌtāl How to pronounce fishtail (audio) \
fishtailed; fishtailing; fishtails

Definition of fishtail

intransitive verb

1 : to swing the tail of an airplane from side to side to reduce speed especially when landing
2 : to have the rear end slide from side to side out of control while moving forward the car fishtailed on the icy curve

Examples of fishtail in a Sentence

The car fishtailed on the icy curve.
Recent Examples on the Web DeHerrera then careened into the parking lot of a nearby Hilton DoubleTree hotel, began to fishtail, sideswiped an occupied Hillsboro police car and crashed into a tree, deputies said. — oregonlive, 23 Dec. 2021 Then the speeding tractor-trailer started to fishtail uncontrollably, said the teenager, Esvin Chipel Tzoy. — New York Times, 10 Dec. 2021 The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching. — NBC News, 28 Oct. 2021 The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 2021 The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching. — NBC News, 28 Oct. 2021 The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 2021 The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching. — NBC News, 28 Oct. 2021 The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fishtail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of fishtail

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Time Traveler for fishtail

Time Traveler

The first known use of fishtail was in 1927

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Dictionary Entries Near fishtail

fish tackle

fishtail

fishtail bit

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Statistics for fishtail

Cite this Entry

“Fishtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fishtail. Accessed 5 Jul. 2022.

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