SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

shavetail

noun shave·tail \ ˈshāv-ˌtāl \

Definition of shavetail

1 : a pack mule especially when newly broken in

2 usually disparaging : second lieutenant

Origin and Etymology of shavetail

from the practice of shaving the tails of newly broken mules to distinguish them from seasoned ones

First Known Use: 1846

in the meaning defined at sense 1

Learn More about shavetail

See words that rhyme with shavetail

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up shavetail? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

homogeneous

play

of the same or a similar kind or nature

Words at Play

alt-5b0834b915e3f

'Judicial' v. 'Judicious': We'll Settle The Case

A judgment call

alt-5b06e60511014

'Deprived' vs. 'Depraved'

Nobody wants to be either.

alt-5b05d8545c817

'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

12 Words from All Over the Map

Some words say exactly where they're from

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words

Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz

Name That Thing

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz

Dictionary Devil

Dictionary Devil

The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?

Play the game