ring-tailedadj.
/ˈrɪŋteɪld/, U.S. /ˈrɪŋˌteɪld/ 1.
a. Of a mammal or snake: having the tail ringed with bands of contrasting colour. Cf. ringtail n. 3b.See also ring-tailed cat n., ring-tailed lemur n. at Compounds 1.
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the world > animals > animal body > markings or colourings > [adjective] > striped or lined > ring-tailed
ring-tailed1704
1704 Nat. Hist. v, in L. Wafer New Voy. & Descr. Isthmus Amer. (ed. 2) 213 The Ring-tail'd Snake.
1780 W. Smellie tr. Comte de Buffon Nat. Hist. Gen. & Particular VII. 224 The mococo, or maucauco, commonly known by the name of the ring-tailed maki.
1855 Harper's Mag. June 33/2 While one miner held a screeching, biting, ring-tailed monkey over Mr. Bobbins's head, another produced a savage bull-terrier.
2001 Trav. Afr. Winter 56/2 You're almost certain to catch sight of beautiful Ring-tailed mongooses foraging through the leaf-litter.
b. Of a bird: having one or more bands of contrasting colour on the tail. Cf. ringtail n. 1.See also ring-tailed pigeon n. at Compounds 1.
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?c1730 in J. Maidment North Countrie Garland (1824) 52 O Sir, ye're but a stanchel or else a ring-tail'd kite.
1750 G. Edwards Nat. Hist. Birds III. 107 Ring-tail'd Hawk.
1815 Sporting Mag. 45 96 A very superb ring-tailed eagle was shot.
1840 W. Macgillivray Hist. Brit. Birds III. 366 Circus Cyaneus, the Ring-Tailed Harrier.
1893 A. Newton et al. Dict. Birds: Pt. 1 177 In the young the tail is white at the base, whence in this stage it has been often called the Ring-tailed Eagle.
2007 R. Lovegrove Silent Fields vi. 127 The graceful, dove-grey male Hen Harrier and his dark, ring-tailed female have never been great friends of Man in Britain.
2.
a. Of a dog: having a tail that is curled upwards so as to form nearly a complete circle. Cf. ringtail n. 4.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > dog > [adjective] > having specific type parts
sawinga1398
prick-eareda1425
well hanged1592
curtal1599
well-hung1611
unwormeda1625
uncropped1802
undocked1802
ring-tailed1821
apple-headed1854
gay1894
1821 J. H. Reynolds in London Mag. Nov. 534/1 He was desirous of fleshing a young ring-tailed and tulip-eared puppy.
1894 R. B. Lee Hist. & Descr. Mod. Dogs: Non-sporting Div. ix. 239 The tail should be..not curved upwards at the end, called ‘ring tailed’.
1937 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 12 May 19/6 Did you ever hear of ring-tailed dogs? I call them that because they have rings in their tails. They curl up like little doughnuts.
?1999 R. St. James in J. Canfield et al. Chicken Soup for Cat & Dog Lover's Soul ix. 351 Wherever I went, that little ring-tailed mutt of dubious parentage was right there with me.
b. Of a possum: having a prehensile tail that is habitually curled downwards in a ring or spiral. Cf. ringtail n. 3a.See also ring-tailed opossum n., ring-tailed possum n. at Compounds 2.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Implacenta > subclass Marsupialia (marsupials) > [adjective] > ring-tailed
ring-tailed1846
the world > animals > animal body > general parts > rump and tail > [adjective] > relating to the tail > having a tail > having tail curled at end
ring-tailed1846
1846 G. R. Waterhouse Nat. Hist. Mammalia I. 301 Mr. Gray has since changed his opinion, associating the Ring-tailed Phalangers under one specific name.
1885 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 728/2 There are about four species of this genus known, of which the commonest is Cook's Ring-tailed Phalanger.
1968 Q. Rev. Biol. 43 401/2 It cannot be said whether the ring-tailed phalangers are of Australian or New Guinean origin.
3. U.S. Extraordinary; ferocious. Chiefly in combinations designating a powerful, violent, or remarkable person or (occasionally) thing, or a ferocious imaginary animal; formerly esp. in ring-tailed roarer.
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the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [noun] > violent thing or being
wildfirea1400
rager1440
ring-tailed roarer1828
sirocco1859
head-the-ball1958
the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > mythical creature or object > [noun] > imaginary persons or creatures
man in the moon1596
Briarean1598
phantasim1598
mooncalf1638
splacknuck1726
Idomenian1764
little green man1802
ring-tailed roarer1828
Belsnickel1830
ice worm1830
catawampus1843
whangdoodle1852
Prince Charming1855
boojum1876
snark1879
Easter rabbit1881
Easter bunny1900
death moth1910
Moomin1950
energy vampire1967
tooth fairy1977
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > violent behaviour > [noun] > person
tyrant1377
routera1500
termagant1508
ruffy?a1513
ruffiana1525
pander1593
thunderbolt1593
bully1604
ruffiano1611
tearer1633
violentoa1661
boy1662
violent1667
hardhead1774
Arab1788
ring-tailed roarer1828
blood-tub1853
tornado1863
stormer1886
hooligan1898
Apache1902
ned1910
rough-up1911
radge1923
goonda1926
pretty-boy1931
tough baby1932
bad-john1935
hoon1938
shit-kicker1954
tough boy1958
oafo1959
ass-kicker1962
droog1962
trog1983
the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [noun] > strong person > strong man > and large
ring-tailed roarer1828
1828 West. Monthly Rev. 3 15 He..published the good story of the fight between the Kentuckians, the one half horse and alligator, and the other steam boat and earthquake. The snapping turtle, the ring tailed painter, the best horse, dog and gun, &c. have been successive additions.
1830 Boston Courier 24 May 1/2 Mr. Webster must obsquatulate or be knocked into a cocked hat, by a ring-tailed roarer.
1837 R. M. Bird Nick of Woods I. iii. 56 Stranger, my name's Ralph Stackpole, and I'm a ring-tailed squealer!
1854 P. B. St. John Amy Moss 268 ‘By the rasping ring-tailed roarer of Kentucky, that's good,’ said Ezram.
1872 M. S. De Vere Americanisms 224 A specially fine fellow of great size and strength is called a ring-tailed roarer.
1912 S. E. White Sign at Six ii. 8 That ring-tailed, star-spangled ornament of a janitor won't answer his private bell.
1947 Chicago Tribune 2 Nov. iv. 9/2 The ‘ring-tailed Roarers’ of the pioneer days shout their raucous delight, unsubtle, earthy, outlandish, direct.
1950 Ithaca (New York) Jrnl. 1 Aug. 6/2 You'll have to hand it to this..secretary of agriculture... He's a ring~tailed snorter.
1972 J. Mosher Some would call it Adultery iv. xxiii. 190 Listen to that wind coming up, would you? She's a ring~tailed snorter.
1987 D. F. Wallace Broom of Syst. 243 Boy, she may be a ring-tailed bitch.
1991 E. Lowell Only His 375 That repeating rifle of Caleb's is a real ring-tailed wonder.
2007 F. Michaels Hide & Seek 84 The guy is a ring-tailed son of a bitch and not loved by the people who work under him.
Compounds
C1. In sense ‘having the tail marked with a ring or rings of contrasting colour’. In names of birds and mammals. Cf. ringtail n. Compounds 3.
ring-tailed cat n. a nocturnal, raccoon-like North American mammal, Bassariscus astutus (family Procyonidae), which has dark bands on the tail; also called ringtail, ringtail cat, cacomistle.
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1866 A. Murray Geogr. Distrib. Mammals xii. 103 Its feline character is recognised by the American miners, who call it the ‘Civet’ and Mexican or Ring-tailed Cat.
1917 Mammals Amer. 108 Ring-tailed Cat... Other names..Mountain Cat, Raccoon Fox.
1958 P. Ryhiner & D. P. Mannix Wildest Game (1959) xvii. 302 I managed to pick up some cacomistles, or ring-tailed cats, in the Southwest.
1992 E. Hoagland Wowlas & Coral in Balancing Acts 187 Elmo showed us tree rat, gibnut gopher, bush dog, and ring-tailed cat tracks.
ring-tailed lemur n. a gregarious lemur, Lemur catta (family Lemuridae), which has a grey coat, black rings around the eyes, and a long tail with distinctive black and white bands.
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1790 G. Shaw Speculum Linnæanum The Ring-tailed Lemur.
1840 E. Blyth et al. Cuvier's Animal Kingdom 63 The Macaco of Buffon, or the Ring-tailed Lemur (L. catta, Lin.), which is ash-grey, the tail annulated black and white.
1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo iv. 61 The ring-tailed and ruffed lemurs are mainly diurnal.
2001 Trav. Afr. Autumn 66 Many are probably familiar with the Ring-tailed lemur (practically Madagascar's unofficial emblem).
ring-tailed marlin n. North American (now rare) the Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica.
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1844 Nat. Hist. N.Y., Zool. II. 254 The Ring-Tailed Marlin, Limosa Hudsonica.
1942 Fading Trails (Nat. Park Service) 157 The most widely used name for the Hudsonian godwit was ‘ring-tailed marlin’ because of the white band on its upper tail coverts.
2006 P. Dunne Pete Dunne's Essent. Field Guide Compan. 217/1 Hudsonian Godwit. Limosa haemastica. Ring-tailed Marlin. Status: Not uncommon, but geographically restricted.
ring-tailed pigeon n. the Jamaican band-tailed pigeon, Columba caribaea.
ΚΠ
1725 H. Sloane Nat. Hist. Jamaica II. 302 The Ring-Tail'd Pigeon.
1829 E. Griffith et al. Cuvier's Animal Kingdom VIII. 79 Ring-tailed Pigeon.
1960 J. Bond Birds W. Indies (ed. 3) 103 Ring-tailed Pigeon Columba caribaea. Local name: Ring-tail.
1992 From Land Fall 10/2 As we walk we watch for two of Jamaica's 25 endemic bird species—the ring-tailed pigeon and crested quail dove.
C2. In sense ‘having the tail curling in a ring’. In names of mammals. Cf. ringtail n. Compounds 4.
ring-tailed opossum n. now rare = ringtail possum n. at ringtail n. Compounds 4.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Implacenta > subclass Marsupialia (marsupials) > [noun] > family Phalangeridae (phalanger) > other types of
cuscus1775
vulpine opossum or phalanger1789
ring-tailed opossum1803
ringtail possum1825
ringtail1831
ringtail opossum1831
ursine phalanger1839
mongan1889
Leadbeater's possum1937
ring-tailed possum1941
1803 F. Barrallier Jrnl. in F. M. Bladen Hist. Rec. New S. Wales (1897) V. 808 J'abattis d'un coup de fusil deux opossums..; ils étaient de l'espèce appelée ‘ring-tailed opossum’.
1854 W. Howitt Boy's Adventures 185 There is a smaller kind, called the ring-tailed opossum, because the tail curls itself up into the shape of a ring, not upwards, but downwards.
1933 Q. Rev. Biol. 8 390/2 (caption) Phalangers (ring-tailed opossum), 22 observations.
ring-tailed possum n. = ringtail possum n. at ringtail n. Compounds 4.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Implacenta > subclass Marsupialia (marsupials) > [noun] > family Phalangeridae (phalanger) > other types of
cuscus1775
vulpine opossum or phalanger1789
ring-tailed opossum1803
ringtail possum1825
ringtail1831
ringtail opossum1831
ursine phalanger1839
mongan1889
Leadbeater's possum1937
ring-tailed possum1941
1941 E. Troughton Furred Animals Austral. 104 In its broadest scope, this genus [sc. Pseudocheirus] embraces all the familiar little ring-tailed possums.
2005 Global Aug.–Sept. 23/1 On its beaches and headlands I once encountered fur seals, snakes, sea eagles, wedge-tailed eagles, ring-tailed possums.., a lace monitor and a wallaby.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1704