Dictionary Definition
fishtail v : slow down by moving the tail
sideways; "The airplane fishtailed on the runway"
User Contributed Dictionary
Pronunciation
/ˈfɪʃteɪl/Noun
- The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.
Verb
- To swing the back of a vehicle (originally an aircraft) from
side to side.
- As we approached the runway, the pilot fishtailed slightly to reduce landing speed.
- To move with the tail swinging from side to side in this way.
- The car fishtailed down the muddy lane.
Extensive Definition
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 skirt
- Fishtail wrap of folding or draping (e.g., of sari, dhoti)
- Machapuchare ("Fish's Tail") mountain in Nepal
- A form of the scrollwork graphic design
- Fishtailing, a problem in car handling