Definition of shirttail
1 : the part of a shirt that reaches below the waist especially in the back
2 : something small or inadequate
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Recent Examples of shirttail from the Web
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Be content to ride the shirttails of a go-getter to bigger and better opportunities.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shirttail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of shirttail
1809
shirttail
Definition of shirttail
1 : very young : immature shirttail boys fishing in the creek
2 : distantly and indefinitely related a shirttail cousin on her father's side
3 : small, trivial, or short typically to the point of inadequacy has a gullied shirttail ranch in the hills
First Known Use of shirttail
1845
SHIRTTAIL Defined for English Language Learners
shirttail
playDefinition of shirttail for English Language Learners
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: the part of a shirt that hangs below the waist especially in the back
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