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dovetail
The definition of a dovetail is an interlocking wood joint formed by a wedge-shaped part joined with a matching cut-out area in the wood.
(noun)An example of dovetail is what woodworkers use to attach the front of a dresser drawer.
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See dovetail in Webster's New World College Dictionary
noun
- a part or thing shaped like a dove's tail; specif., a projecting, wedge-shaped part (tenon) that fits into a corresponding cut-out space (mortise) to form an interlocking joint
- a joint thus formed
transitive verb
- to join or fasten together by means of dovetails
- to piece together (facts, etc.) so as to make a logically connected whole
intransitive verb
to fit together closely or logically
See dovetail in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- A fan-shaped tenon that forms a tight interlocking joint when fitted into a corresponding mortise.
- A joint formed by interlocking one or more such tenons and mortises.
- To cut into or join by means of dovetails.
- To connect or combine precisely or harmoniously.
- To be joined together by means of dovetails.
- To combine or interlock into a unified whole: The nurses' schedules dovetailed, so that one was always on duty.
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