Illustration of dovetail
- 1 mortises
- 2 tenons
- 3 joint
: something resembling a dove's tail
especially
: a flaring tenon and a mortise into which it fits tightly making an interlocking joint between two pieces (as of wood)
dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails
1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
a
: to fit skillfully to form a whole
b
: to fit together with
: to fit together into a whole
Examples of dovetail in a Sentence
Verb
the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
Putting the late Formula 1 driver in a virtual face-off with current champion Verstappen also helps the campaign dovetail into the brand’s return as the motorsport’s official timekeeper from this year, as part of a 10-year deal with parent group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Aeterna means everlasting or perpetual, which dovetails with the lore behind the serpent, which is said to represent eternity.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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Noun
Shira Efron, research director of the nonpartisan Israel Policy Forum, says the Israeli government's return to war dovetails with Netanyahu's need to appease his far-right political partners to maintain his coalition.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
Putting the late Formula 1 driver in a virtual face-off with current champion Verstappen also helps the campaign dovetail into the brand’s return as the motorsport’s official timekeeper from this year, as part of a 10-year deal with parent group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
Just to witness either one of those mercurial players dovetailing with a goal machine like Eto’o would be special — but both?
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Aeterna means everlasting or perpetual, which dovetails with the lore behind the serpent, which is said to represent eternity.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dovetail
1 of 2 noun
dove·tail
-ˌtāl 
: something shaped like a dove's tail
especially
: a joint between two pieces (as of wood) formed by a wedge-shaped part that fits tightly into a wedge-shaped slot in the other piece
dovetail
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
: to fit skillfully together to form a whole
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