tail fin

noun

1
: the terminal fin of a fish or cetacean
2

Examples of tail fin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Named for the distinctive black markings on the tips of their dorsal, pelvic, and tail fins, blacktip sharks primarily eat small fish, squid, and crustaceans, using quick bursts of speed to chase down prey. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 After the special moment, the whale showed off its tail fin before diving back into the water – marking a successful lunch hour, the video showed. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025 Gabriel — the primary human antagonist of the last two films — dies when his head meets the wrong end of a plane tail fin, splitting open like a coconut. EW.com, 23 May 2025 Sharply angled surfaces, called chines, run from the nose to the air intakes on either side of the lower fuselage; chines then run further back from those intakes to the wings and to twin tail fins, which are slightly canted from the vertical. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2020 See All Example Sentences for tail fin

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tail fin was in 1681

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Cite this Entry

“Tail fin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tail%20fin. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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