oxtail

noun

ox·​tail ˈäks-ˌtāl How to pronounce oxtail (audio)
: the tail of a beef animal
especially : the skinned tail used for food (as in soup)

Examples of oxtail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other favorites that get reinterpreted across different cuisines include burgers and fries, oxtail and rice and cakes and pies. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 The gelatinous oxtail stew, more rich and savory than spicy, is ladled around a puck of rice and garnished with green onions cut on the bias. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023 Limited-edition menu items showcased his African Caribbean roots with dishes such as oxtail dumplings, lemon pepper prawns, amarillo broth snapper & tuna ceviche tostada with avocado. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 21 Oct. 2023 By the menu, which pays sincere and doting attention to oxtails, egusi soup, Cosmic Brownies and other foods that don’t usually make it into expensive restaurants in New York? Melissa Clark, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023 But of the classics, the oxtail stew is the most special of all. The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 13 Sep. 2023 In the Soul Roll created by Kerston and Shawn Thorns, oxtail is simmered, chunked and combined with butter, celery, onions and smoked gouda. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2023 The boat noodles — which feature beef short rib, meatballs, oxtail and chicharron — at Kin Sen Asian Noodle Bar in Salt Lake City. Stuart Melling, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023 The Thorns family serves oxtails on Sundays at their home, and Kerston Thorns often uses a recipe from her late grandmother, Pearlie Mae Daughtrey. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oxtail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oxtail was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near oxtail

Cite this Entry

“Oxtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxtail. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!