tail covert

noun

1. any of the feathers concealing the bases of a bird's tail feathers.

tail covert

noun

1. any of the covert feathers of a bird covering the bases of the tail feathers

Word History and Origins

Origin of tail covert¹

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

This bird has a normal tail, and is not to be confused with the Yokohama or Phoenix chicken of which there is a specimen in the Tokyo museum with a tail covert length of 17 ft.

From Time Magazine Archive