What does "shirttail" mean?
The single or split (then rather plural) bottom part of a shirt, below the waist, especially in the back, which, when not tucked into trousers or other vestment, hangs over the wearer's tail-end, like a tail.
Shirttail
noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The single or split (then rather plural) bottom part of a shirt, below the waist, especially in the back, which, when not tucked into trousers or other vestment, hangs over the wearer's tail-end, like a tail.
- Grammar: shirttail is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: back hem, distant kin, distant relative, garment.
- Useful contrasts: close relative, front.
- Usage evidence: Tom had his shirt tucked in, but John had his shirttail out.
How to use "shirttail"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shirttail" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shirttail" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shirttail" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shirttail" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shirttail" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "back hem" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shirttail", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The single or split (then rather plural) bottom part of a shirt, below the waist, especially in the back, which, when not tucked into trousers or other vestment, hangs over the wearer's tail-end, like a tail.
"According to Linder, one of the rituals of the hunt entailed cutting off the shirttail of a hunter who shot at and missed a deer."
- 2 fabric forming the tail of a shirt wordnet
- 3 The tail-end or periphery of something. broadly
"There was something — did you ever catch hold of the shirttail of a dream and try to pull it back into your consciousness?"
- 4 a brief addendum at the end of a newspaper article wordnet
- 5 A tenuous connection.
"Although consumers' cooperatives have not yet been benefitted, the more they become tied on to the shirttail of the agricultural bloc, the more political power they are going to have."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A distant kinship.
"She belongs to the true sisterhood of the majestic five daughters born to America's inland Neptune, but she always has been regarded as a poor relation, a sort of shirttail cousin, by her big sisters."
- 7 A small portion
"“What good's a one-horse farm, I ask you, a few acres of tobacco and a shirttail of corn and cotton—just enough to see a man through the winter and maybe buy seed to plant and get another run till the crops are in?"
- 8 Something small and unimportant.
"He can't get no further behind. He can sholy take care of this little shirttail of a farm while me and you are whupping them Japanese."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
close relativefront
Example
"Tom had his shirt tucked in, but John had his shirttail out."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shirttail"?
Common synonyms include: back hem, distant kin, distant relative, garment, parts, remote relative.
How do you use "shirttail" in a sentence?
Tom had his shirt tucked in, but John had his shirttail out.
Etymology
From shirt + tail.