Illustration of dovetail
- 1 mortises
- 2 tenons
- 3 joint
: something resembling a dove's tail
especially
: a flaring tenon and a mortise into which it fits tightly making an interlocking joint between two pieces (as of wood)
dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails
1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
a
: to fit skillfully to form a whole
b
: to fit together with
: to fit together into a whole
Synonyms
Examples of dovetail in a Sentence
Verb
the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Kris Holt, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Might the convention trade dovetail nicely in a city with attractions ranging from Fort McHenry to playoff-qualifying NFL and MLB teams?
—Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2024
Luisa Zargani, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025
The multiregional scientific model, which suggested discrete ancestry roots for the Chinese people, dovetailed with nationalist sentiments and was once particularly entrenched among Chinese academics.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dovetail 
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Noun
The passive dovetails nicely with another of Hazard’s abilities, Jagged Wall.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Might the convention trade dovetail nicely in a city with attractions ranging from Fort McHenry to playoff-qualifying NFL and MLB teams?
—Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
This appears to dovetail with recent signs of a potential rebound of the luxury market provided by third-quarter figures recently reported by Compagnie Financière Richemont and Burberry.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025
The multiregional scientific model, which suggested discrete ancestry roots for the Chinese people, dovetailed with nationalist sentiments and was once particularly entrenched among Chinese academics.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dovetail
Dictionary Entries Near dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dovetail
1 of 2 noun
dove·tail
-ˌtāl 
: something shaped like a dove's tail
especially
: a joint between two pieces (as of wood) formed by a wedge-shaped part that fits tightly into a wedge-shaped slot in the other piece
dovetail
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
: to fit skillfully together to form a whole
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