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
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
Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2025
The track’s Ratatat-ish closing dual-lead-guitar riff dovetails with Andrew Watt’s production work, which yields either instant vintage or pre-distressed jeans and nothing in between.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
Curtis Farnsel, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2025
The offering dovetails with research showing nature helps people deal with difficult feelings.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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Noun
File this six-drawer dresser under the latter for its commanding footprint and swirling burl veneer, with bonus points for durability, English dovetail joinery, and metal glides.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2025
The track’s Ratatat-ish closing dual-lead-guitar riff dovetails with Andrew Watt’s production work, which yields either instant vintage or pre-distressed jeans and nothing in between.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
Our study dovetails this research and identifies a specific context in which investors view corporate taxes favorably.
—Curtis Farnsel, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2025
The offering dovetails with research showing nature helps people deal with difficult feelings.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 25 Mar. 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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