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tail in

C1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

Put the end of a wooden beam into a hole in a wall to hold it in place

Literal meaning: To insert the tail (end) of something in — transparent in construction contexts.

Meanings

1 C1 neutral

(Construction) To insert the end of a structural timber, beam, or rafter into a notch or socket in a masonry wall for support

"The carpenter tailed in each joist along the supporting wall before laying the floorboards."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Technical construction and carpentry term. The 'tail' refers to the projecting end of a beam or rafter. Not commonly encountered outside of building trade contexts.

Commonly used with

beam joist rafter wall masonry timber

Forms

Base
tail in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tails in
he/she/it
Past simple
tailed in
yesterday
Past participle
tailed in
have + pp
-ing form
tailing in
continuous

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