shirt with tail

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   A shirt that has a long back section hanging below the waist, rather than a straight-cut hem.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase: a shirt with a tail; the plural is shirts with tails.

   Patterns

   • a shirt with a tail
   • wear a shirt with a tail

   Formal dress codes sometimes require a shirt with a tail so it stays tucked in.

   He prefers a shirt with a tail because it doesn't ride up when he moves.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasetechnical

   A description used in sewing patterns and clothing catalogs for a garment with an extended back panel.

   Grammar: Common in written descriptions of clothing rather than in everyday speech.

   Patterns

   • a pattern for a shirt with a tail
   • a shirt with a tail and pleats

   The catalog lists a cotton shirt with a tail and a pleated back.

   The sewing instructions explain how to cut a shirt with a tail.

Common combinations

a formal shirt with a tail

He wore a formal shirt with a tail to the wedding.

a long shirt with a tail

She bought a long shirt with a tail to wear over leggings.

a shirt with a tail and collar

The museum displayed a linen shirt with a tail and collar.

cut a shirt with a tail

The tailor had to cut a shirt with a tail to fit the customer.

Synonyms and how they differ

shirt-tail shirt

An informal way of naming the same garment, focusing on the tail as its main feature.

tunic

A tunic is a loose garment reaching the hips or knees; a shirt with a tail is still a shirt, just with an extended back.

Word family

shirt noun

A garment for the upper body with sleeves and a collar.

tail noun

The back or rear part of something, here the lower back panel of a shirt.

Commonly confused: shirt with tail or shirt-tail?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “shirt with tail”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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