tailor

1 of 2

noun

tai·​lor ˈtā-lər How to pronounce tailor (audio)
: a person whose occupation is making or altering garments (such as suits, jackets, and dresses) typically to fit a particular person

tailor

2 of 2

verb

tailored; tailoring; tailors

transitive verb

1
a
: to make or fashion as the work of a tailor
b
: to make or adapt to suit a special need or purpose
2
: to fit with clothes
3
: to style with trim straight lines and finished handwork

intransitive verb

: to do the work of a tailor

Examples of tailor in a Sentence

Verb I had my suit tailored. They tailored the show for younger audiences.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Lee being Lee marched her uniform right to her favorite tailor on Savile Row, who absolutely tailored it within an inch of its life to Lee’s body. Tomris Laffly, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2024 The song became synonymous with post-pandemic dance floors and a viral favorite among all age groups, largely due to its profanity-free lyrics and a sweet steel drum melody tailor made for social media clips. Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2024
Verb
For example, Synthesia utilizes an AI platform to create high-quality video and voiceover content tailored for financial services, while Deriskly provides AI software aimed at optimizing compliance in financial promotions and communications. David Parker, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 That includes higher standard deductions, a lower top marginal tax rate, bigger child tax credits, lower estate taxes and certain deductions tailored for small businesses. Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tailor 

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English taillour, from Anglo-French taillur, from tailler, taillier to cut, from Late Latin taliare, from Latin talea plant cutting, thin piece of wood

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of tailor was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tailor

Cite this Entry

“Tailor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailor. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

tailor

1 of 2 noun
tai·​lor ˈtā-lər How to pronounce tailor (audio)
: a person whose occupation is making or making adjustments in outer garments

tailor

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make or fashion as the work of a tailor
2
: to make or make suitable for a special need or purpose

More from Merriam-Webster on tailor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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