tail fin

tail fin

also tail·fin (tāl′fĭn′)n.1. A fin at the posterior part of the body of a fish, crustacean, whale, or other aquatic animal.2. An ornamental projection shaped like a fin on the rear fender of an automobile. Also called fin¹.3. A fin at the tail end of an aerodynamic or hydrodynamic object such as an airplane or surfboard, used to provide directional control or stability.

tail′ fin`

n. 1. the terminal vertical fin of a fish. 2. See under fin ¹ (def. 6). [1675–85]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	tail fin - a stabilizer that is part of the vertical tail structure of an airplanetailfin, vertical fin, vertical stabiliser, vertical stabilizerstabilizer - airfoil consisting of a device for stabilizing an aircraftvertical tail - the vertical airfoil in the tail assembly of an aircraft
	2.	tail fin - one of a pair of decorations projecting above the rear fenders of an automobilefin, tailfinauto, automobile, car, motorcar, machine - a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine; "he needs a car to get to work"decoration, ornament, ornamentation - something used to beautify
	3.	tail fin - the tail of fishes and some other aquatic vertebratescaudal finfin - organ of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animalsheterocercal fin - a tail fin with unequal lobes in which the vertebral column turns upward into the larger lobe as in sharkshomocercal fin - symmetrical tail fin extending beyond the end of the vertebral column as in most bony fishesfish - any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills; "the shark is a large fish"; "in the living room there was a tank of colorful fish"