dovetail

American  

[duhv-teyl] / ˈdʌvˌteɪl /

noun

Carpentry.

1. a tenon broader at its end than at its base; pin.

2. a joint formed of one or more such tenons fitting tightly within corresponding mortises.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. Carpentry. to join or fit together by means of a dovetail or dovetails.

2. to join or fit together compactly or harmoniously.

dovetail British  

/ ˈdʌvˌteɪl /

noun

1. a wedge-shaped tenon

2. Also called: dovetail joint.  a joint containing such tenons

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verb

1. (tr) to join by means of dovetails

2. to fit or cause to fit together closely or neatly

   he dovetailed his arguments to the desired conclusion

Other Word Forms

• dovetailer noun

Etymology

Origin of dovetail

First recorded in 1555–65; so named from its shape

Example Sentences

The two themes also dovetail neatly with the AI diffusion into the defense industries.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

And when these apparitions vanish, the text’s overriding theme—of life’s evanescence but also its beauty—does finally dovetail with the ghostly images created by the technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Gerrard and Lampard, who struggled to dovetail, were paired centrally and Scholes, who the Swede regarded as his "most talented player," was shunted left.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

The warnings dovetail with the latest seasonal outlook issued by the National Interagency Fire Center, or NIFC, which forecast increased wildfire activity in Southern California in September due to the combination of weather and vegetation.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2024

“Of course,” I said, unaccountably excited that the story was at last beginning to dovetail with my own experience.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• coincide
• conform
• correspond
• harmonize
• jibe