Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The deeply forked tail of a swallow.
- noun Something similar to the tail of a swallow.
- noun Any of various colorful, widely distributed butterflies of the family Papilionidae, usually having an extension at the end of each hind wing that resembles the tail of certain swallows.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A swallow's tail; hence, a long and deeply forked or forficate tail, like that of the barn-swallow.
- noun A swallow-tailed animal.
- noun Something resembling in form or suggesting the forked tail of a swallow.
- noun In joinery, same as
dovetail . - noun In fortification, same as
bonnet à prêtre (which see, underbonnet ). - noun A Swallow-tailed coat; a dress-coat.
- noun The points of a burgee.
- noun A broad or barbed arrow-head.
- Same as
swallow-tailed .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Carp.) A kind of tenon or tongue used in making joints. See
dovetail . - noun (Bot.) A species of willow.
- noun (Fort.) An outwork with converging sides, its head or front forming a reëntrant angle; -- so called from its form. Called also
priestcap . - noun A swallow-tailed coat.
- noun An arrow.
- noun (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of large and handsome butterflies, belonging to Papilio and allied genera, in which the posterior border of each hind wing is prolongated in the form of a long lobe.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun the
forked tail of aswallow . - noun anything, such as a
burgee , of a similar forked shape. - noun a type of
tailcoat with two longtapering tails. - noun any of various
butterflies of thefamily Papilionidae , having a forkedextension to thehind wing .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a man's full-dress jacket with two long tapering tails at the back
Etymologies
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Examples
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It was of a style popularly known as a swallowtail, faced with satin as to lapels and once gracefully rounded to a long, bisected skirt in the rear.
Then I'll Come Back to You Larry Evans
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Informal evening dress differs from formal in the wearing of the Tuxedo or dinner coat in place of the "swallowtail," and the substitution of a black silk for a white lawn tie.
The Complete Bachelor Manners for Men Walter Germain
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He was punctiliously dressed in the mode: a "swallowtail," bright, soft silk tie of ample proportions, frilled linen, and sparkling studs.
The Gray Dawn Stewart Edward White 1909
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His doublet was prolonged behind into something resembling a violent exaggeration of what is now termed a "swallowtail," but was much obscured by the swelling folds of an enormous black, glossy-looking cloak, which must have been very much too long in calm weather, as the wind, whistling round the old house, carried it clear out from the wearer's shoulders to about four times his own length.
Children's Literature A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes Charles Madison Curry 1906
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His doublet was prolonged behind into something resembling a violent exaggeration of what is now termed a "swallowtail," but was much obscured by the swelling folds of an enormous black, glossy-looking cloak, which must have been very much too long in calm weather, as the wind, whistling round the old house, carried it clear out from the wearer's shoulders to about four times his own length.
The King of the Golden River John Ruskin 1859
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a violent exaggeration of what is now termed a "swallowtail," but was much obscured by the swelling folds of an enormous black, glossy-looking cloak, which must have been very much too long in calm weather, as the wind, whistling round the old house, carried it clear out from the wearer's shoulders to about four times his own length.
Types of Children's Literature Walter Barnes
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"swallowtail" coat with brass buttons made its appearance, and with shoes newly polished he was ready for church.
Brook Farm John Thomas Codman
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Norfolk sites such as Hickling Broad will see probably our most photogenic butterfly – the swallowtail – begin to emerge at the end of the month.
Are butterflies the UK's most beautiful endangered species? | Dan Flenley 2011
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My closest encounter came at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve, where I had gone in search of swallowtail butterflies and Norfolk hawker dragonflies.
Birdwatch: Pheasant 2011
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Albert was taken by a third of this species—really an upright mantid of sorts, its carapace like a gleaming veined topcoat in swallowtail.
Locust Valley Breakdown Andrew Edwards 2012
hernesheir commented on the word swallowtail
A butterfly, bird, coat, or Irish jig; you decide.
For the fortification, see priestcap.
December 27, 2011