fishtail

verb fish·tail \ ˈfish-ˌtāl \

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

See fishtail defined for English-language learners

Examples of fishtail in a Sentence

The car fishtailed on the icy curve.

Recent Examples of fishtail from the Web

Suddenly, the car fishtailed on the wet street, hit a tree and ricocheted into a telephone pole, crushing the vehicle and knocking Boesen unconscious.

— linda marsa, Discover Magazine, "What Once Was Lost," 11 Sep. 2017
With a Hat Part your hair into two sections, and then fishtail each side.

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "17 Gorgeous Boho Braids You Need in Your Life," 10 Apr. 2015
After striking the rear of Myles' car, the SUV fishtailed before running off the road and striking a tree, authorities said.

— clifford ward, chicagotribune.com, "Man charged in fatal hit-and-run crash texted photos of his damaged car, officials say," 19 May 2017
Our open Jeep fishtailed along muddy roads through northeast India’s Kaziranga National Park.

— National Geographic, "How Many Tigers Are There Really? A Conservation Mystery," 20 Apr. 2016
And that's him - not Steve McQueen - fishtailing down Tyler Street in San Francisco at 90 mph in Bullitt.

— Philly.com, "Loren Janes | Hollywood stuntman, 85," 4 July 2017
The back tires grab and throw the bike forward while fishtailing.

— david curcurito, Popular Mechanics, "The Ural Sidecar: A Three-Wheeled Russian Motorcycle That Goes Anywhere You Want," 2 May 2017

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

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

airway, apron, corridor, dirigible, flat-hat, vector

FISHTAIL Defined for English Language Learners

fishtail

verb

Definition of fishtail for English Language Learners

of a car, truck, etc. : to slide in an uncontrolled way with the rear end going from side to side

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fishtail

Definition of fishtail

Examples of fishtail in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fishtail from the Web

First Known Use of fishtail

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

FISHTAIL Defined for English Language Learners

fishtail

Definition of fishtail for English Language Learners

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fishtail

Definition of fishtail

Examples of fishtail in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fishtail from the Web

First Known Use of fishtail

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

FISHTAIL Defined for English Language Learners

fishtail

Definition of fishtail for English Language Learners

Learn More about fishtail

Seen and Heard

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