fork-tailadj.n.
/ˈfɔːkteɪl/, U.S. /ˈfɔrkˌteɪl/ = forked-tailed adj. at forked adj. Compounds 2. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1611 J. Florio Queen Anna's New World of Words Follo, an eare-wig..or fork-taile vermine.
B. n.
1. (See quot. 1753.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > order Salmoniformes (salmon or trout) > family Salmonidae (salmon) > [noun] > genus Salmo > salmo salar (salmon) > in fourth year
foxtail1712
fork-tail1753
1753 Chambers's Cycl. Suppl. Forktail..a name given to the salmon, while in the fourth years growth.
1818 in H. J. Todd Johnson's Dict. Eng. Lang.
1861 Act 24 & 25 Victoria c. 109. §4 Salmon..known by the names..blue pole, fork tail..or by any other local name.
2. (See quot. 1893.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > kites > genus Milvus (kite)
gledec725
kitec725
pittelOE
puttockc1175
milan1484
pipe gledea1525
kite-wolf1607
pew-glede1615
red kite1792
royal kite1792
milvine1885
fork-tail1893
shite-hawk1944
1893 A. Newton Dict. Birds Forktail, of old time used in England for the Kite, but now applied in India to the birds of the genus Henicurus.
Derivatives
fork-tailed adj. having a forked tail; used in the names of birds, etc. (cf. forked-tailed adj. at forked adj. Compounds 2).
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > parts of or bird defined by > [adjective] > of tail > having particular shape of tail
forked1674
sharp-tailed1678
forked-tailed1692
fork-tailed1694
scissor-tailed1811
square-tailed1895
the world > animals > animal body > general parts > rump and tail > [adjective] > relating to the tail > having a tail > having a forked tail
forked-tailed1556
fork-tail1611
fork-tailed1694
1694 J. Ray in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) 200 A kind of fork-tail'd..sea-swallow.
1828 J. S. Sebright Observ. Hawking (new ed.) 44 The fork-tailed kites were much flown, some years ago.
1868 J. G. Wood Homes without Hands v. 103 The Fork-tailed Date Shell (Lithodomus caudigera).
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1897; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.n.1611