fishtail

fishtail
/fish"tayl'/, v.i.
1. to swerve or skid from side to side, as the rear end of a car.
2. to slow an airplane by causing its tail to move rapidly from side to side.
n.
3. such a maneuver.
4. a gas burner having two jets crossing each other so as to produce a flame resembling a fish's tail.
5. a device having a long, narrow slot at the top, placed over a gas jet, as of a Bunsen burner, to give a thin, fanlike flame.
6. Jewelry. a setting consisting of four prominent triangular corner prongs to hold the stone.
[1400-50; late ME. See FISH, TAIL1]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Fishtail — may refer to one of the following*Fishtail (tool), a wood carving tool *Fishtail gauge *Fishtail, Montana, a town *Fishtail (Quickstep), a Quickstep dance figure *Fishtail palm (genus Caryota ) *Fishtail parka, the US Army s M 65 parka *Fishtail… …   Wikipedia

  • fishtail — v. t. (aeronautics) to slow down by moving the tail sideways, of an airplane. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fishtail — v. i. to have the rear end skid from side to side, out of control: said of automobiles or other vehicles. [PJC] {Fish tail burner}, a gas burner that gives a spreading flame shaped somewhat like the tail of a fish. {Fish tail propeller}… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fishtail — Fishtail. См. «Рыбий хвост». (Источник: «Металлы и сплавы. Справочник.» Под редакцией Ю.П. Солнцева; НПО Профессионал , НПО Мир и семья ; Санкт Петербург, 2003 г.) …   Словарь металлургических терминов

  • fishtail — (n.) 1840, from FISH (Cf. fish) (n.) + TAIL (Cf. tail) (n.). As a verb, 1927, originally of aircraft, later automobiles. Related: Fishtailed; fishtailing …   Etymology dictionary

  • fishtail — ► NOUN ▪ a thing resembling a fish s tail in shape or movement. ► VERB ▪ travel with a side to side motion …   English terms dictionary

  • fishtail — [fish′tāl΄] vi. 1. to swing the tail of an airplane from side to side in order to reduce speed after landing 2. to move forward with a side to side, swinging motion of the rear end [the car fishtailed on the icy hill] …   English World dictionary

  • fishtail — UK [ˈfɪʃˌteɪl] / US verb [intransitive] Word forms fishtail : present tense I/you/we/they fishtail he/she/it fishtails present participle fishtailing past tense fishtailed past participle fishtailed if a vehicle fishtails, its back end moves from …   English dictionary

  • fishtail — noun 1》 an object which is forked like a fish s tail. 2》 an uncontrolled sideways movement of the back of a motor vehicle. verb make a fishtail movement …   English new terms dictionary

  • fishtail — /ˈfɪʃteɪl/ (say fishtayl) verb (i) 1. to slow an aeroplane by causing its tail to move rapidly from side to side. 2. (of a ship, boat, etc.) to move forward through the water with a side to side whipping motion of the stern. 3. (of a motor… …  

  • fishtail — in. [for the rear of a car] to whip back and forth like a fish moving its tail. □ The caddy fishtailed on the curb and almost spun around. □ It’s easy to fishtail in wet weather …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

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