roostertail

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word roostertail. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word roostertail, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say roostertail in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word roostertail you have here. The definition of the word roostertail will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofroostertail, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Shape of a rooster's tail.

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From rooster +‎ tail, from analogy with the shape of a rooster's feathered tail.

Noun

Three PT boats travelling at high speed, leaving prominent roostertails of water behind them.

roostertail (plural roostertails)

  1. A violent fountain or spray, especially one caused by a moving vehicle or boat.
    • 1988, Libby Riddles, Race Across Alaska: First Woman to Win the Iditarod Tells Her Story‎, →ISBN, page 21:
      A roostertail of snow kicked up behind me.

Verb

roostertail (third-person singular simple present roostertails, present participle roostertailing, simple past and past participle roostertailed)

  1. To pour like a fountain; to spurt violently.
    • 2005, Pete Watson, “The Prisoner”, in The Heart of the Lion‎, →ISBN:
      The red dust of Tanguieta rolling and roostertailing behind us.
  2. To move rapidly through water, leaving a roostertail wake.
    • 2005, Dave Ames, A Good Life Wasted‎, →ISBN, page 197:
      The shiny new aluminum tribal Jet-Boat roostertailed up the river, straight for us, kicking up a wake that rocked our boat hard enough to knock the cards off the cooler.

Usage notes

  • To refer to the actual tail of a rooster, "rooster's tail" or "rooster tail" are usually used.
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia