dovetail

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈdʌvˌteɪl/ UK /ˈdʌvteɪl/ See IPA manual

Freq #84821

Meanings

1

verb
To combine or fit (things) together well.

The executive board dovetailed its decision neatly with the prior projects the company had taken up.
2

verb
Of several things: to combine or fit together well.

The parts of your essay should dovetail so that it is cohesive and coherent.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms dovetaileddovetailerdovetailing

Related forms join

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

dovetail saw
a small backsaw used for cutting dovetail joints in wood

Noun + noun

Etymology

The noun is derived from dove + tail. The verb is derived from the noun.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

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