释义 |
swallow-tailed, a.|ˈswɒləʊteɪld| [f. prec. + -ed2.] Having a tail like that of a swallow, or an end or part like a swallow's tail; also, of the form of a swallow's tail. I. Of natural objects. 1. In names of species or varieties of birds characterized by a long deeply forked tail, as swallow-tailed duck, the long-tailed duck, Harelda glacialis; swallow-tailed falcon, hawk = s. kite; swallow-tailed flycatcher, the scissor-tail, Milvulus forficatus or M. tyrannus; swallow-tailed gull, a rare American gull, Creagrus furcatus; swallow-tailed kingfisher, a Surinam species of jacamar, Galbula paradisea; swallow-tailed kite, a widely distributed American kite, Elanoides forficatus; swallow-tailed sheldrake = s. duck.
1831Swainson & Richardson Fauna Boreali-Amer. 460 Swallow-tailed *Ducks.
1781Latham Gen. Synopsis Birds I. i. 60 Swallow-tailed *Falcon..is a most elegant species.
1783Ibid. II. i. 356 Swallow-Tailed *Fly catcher..inhabits Mexico.
1872Coues Key N. Amer. Birds 317 Swallow-tailed *Gull..tail white, very much forked.
1771Encycl. Brit. II. 540/2 The [Falco] furcatus, or swallow-tailed *hawk.
1743Edwards Nat. Hist. Birds I. 10 The Swallow-tail'd *King-fisher.
1872Coues Key N. Amer. Birds 211 Nauclerus, Swallow-tailed *Kite.
1764Edwards Glean. Nat. Hist. iii. 249 The Swallow-tailed Indian *Roller.
a1672Willughby Ornith. (1678) 364 The Swallow-tail'd *Sheldrake of Mr. Johnson. 2. a. Having a pair of projecting parts suggesting a swallow's tail, as a seed. b. swallow-tailed willow: = swallow-tail 3.
1712tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 39 The Seed is Swallow-tail'd and flat. 1764Museum Rust. II. xi. 43, I set twenty willow-sets (the swallow-tail'd willow, or white willow) trunchions. 1884Miller Plant-n., Salix alba, Common White, Huntingdon, or Swallow-tailed Willow. 3. Having each of the hind wings prolonged into a ‘tail’, the two together suggesting the forked tail of a swallow, as the swallow-tailed butterfly (Papilio machaon and other species of Papilionidæ) and the swallow-tailed moth (Urapteryx sambucaria).
1743G. Edwards Nat. Hist. Birds I. 34 The dusky and yellow Swallow-tail'd Butter-Fly. 1826Kirby & Sp. Entomol. III. xxx. 148 The beautiful caterpillar of the swallow-tailed butterfly (Papilio Machaon L.). 1880C. R. Markham Peruv. Bark 141 Large swallow-tailed butterflies, purple with light-blue spots on the upper wings. II. Of artificial objects. 4. a. Of a flag or pennon: Having a cleft end with two tapering points.
1697in MSS. Ho. Lords N.S. III. (Hist. MSS. Comm. 1905) 322 Two swallow tailed flags. 1808Scott Marm. iv. xxviii, A thousand streamers..Broad, narrow, swallow-tail'd, and square. 1864Boutell Her. Hist. & Pop. xvii. (ed. 3) 274 A swallow-tailed pennon. b. Naut. Applied to a kind of topsail.
1794Rigging & Seamanship I. 83 A topsail, called a swallow-tailed topsail. 5. Dovetailed, as a piece of timber or stone; also, having a cleft end, as a part of mechanism, etc.
1726Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 50 b, Cramps of Brass and Iron are fasten'd in with Lead: But those of Wood are sufficiently secured by their shape, which is made in such manner, that for resemblance, they are call'd Swallow, or Dove-tail'd. 1730A. Gordon Maffei's Amphith. 307 The Key-Stone in the middle is wedged, and, as we say, Swallow-tail'd. 1798Hull Advertiser 11 Aug. 3/1 Mr. Herschell discovered..a new star..it resembles those stars in embroidery called swallow tailed. 1862Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 4563, The bristles of brushes..are laid upon a principle which prevents their working hollow or wearing swallow-tailed. 1871tr. Schellen's Spectr. Anal. xxvii. 94 The prisms are arranged around this pin, which again is fastened to a swallow-tailed movable bar. 6. Of a coat: Having a pair of pointed or tapering skirts.
1824J. Morier Adventures of Hajji Baba I. p. xl, I sighed for shaven chins and swallow-tailed coats. 1835Willis Pencillings I. xxxiv. 235 He was dressed in an exceedingly well cut swallow-tailed coat. 1882M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal II. x. 212 The atmosphere to-night was as conventional as the men's swallow-tailed coats and white ties. 1889Gunter That Frenchman viii. 99 A moment after the crowd is swelled by the swallow-tailed gentry, the news having got to the clubs and cafés. |