shirttail

1 of 2

noun

shirt·​tail ˈshərt-ˌtāl How to pronounce shirttail (audio)
1
: the part of a shirt that reaches below the waist especially in the back
2
: something small or inadequate

shirttail

2 of 2

adjective

1
: very young : immature
shirttail boys fishing in the creek
2
: distantly and indefinitely related
a shirttail cousin on her father's side
3
: small, trivial, or short typically to the point of inadequacy
has a gullied shirttail ranch in the hills

Examples of shirttail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Also available in a men’s cut, the Marmot Women’s Ridgefield Heavyweight Sherpa-Lined Flannel Jacket channels a lumberjack chic look with its relaxed fit and shirttail hem. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2023 With a shirttail hem that falls below the hips and covers your backside, the intentionally large, extra-long cut is perfect for layering over shorter or more form-fitting shirts. Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2023 Rather than a traditional shirttail, this button-down has a modern straight hem. Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2023 Cutting off a shirttail has never improved anyone’s shooting, for one. The Editors, Field & Stream, 11 Oct. 2020 Amy Poehler say stuff and nodding and kind of just hanging on to her shirttail... Sarah Rodman, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2020 This is their go-to method for not doing homework, not putting their shirttail in. Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 8 Jan. 2020 And according to the Internet, hot girl summer is…none other than Tom Hanks wearing a cute bathing suit and a button-down with the shirttails tied at the waist. Samantha Leach, Glamour, 11 July 2019 The pro-Palestinian side rode the orchestra’s shirttails to a higher profile for its cause, drawing international headlines, especially for the Kimmel disruption and another at the orchestra’s first concert of the tour, in Brussels. Peter Dobrin, Philly.com, 15 June 2018
Adjective
Ratched is a shirttail American Horror Story spinoff that owes a clear debt to that anthology’s transcendent Asylum entry. Darren Franich, EW.com, 14 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shirttail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shirttail was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near shirttail

Cite this Entry

“Shirttail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shirttail. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shirttail

noun
shirt·​tail
-ˌtāl
: the part of a shirt that reaches below the waist especially in the back

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