tailing

American  

[tey-ling] / ˈteɪ lɪŋ /

noun

1. the part of a projecting stone or brick tailed or inserted in a wall.

2. tailings,

   1. Building Trades. gravel, aggregate, etc., failing to pass through a given screen.

   2. the residue of any product, as in mining; leavings.

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tailing British  

/ ˈteɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. the part of a beam, rafter, projecting brick or stone, etc, embedded in a wall

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Etymology

Origin of tailing

First recorded in 1640–50; tail ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“You see pictures and you can look at it, but when you get in here it’s…,” said Kurz, his voice tailing off.

From Los Angeles Times

Cummings said police told him that Watson drove to Baltimore this week to gamble in a casino, with detectives tailing him.

From Washington Post

When the railroad stopped running in 1993, state and federal agencies discovered the right of way was contaminated because it had been built using hazardous mining tailings.

From Washington Post

On the day of the presidential election in 2016, conservative provocateur James O’Keefe posted on Twitter video of himself tailing a blue van in Philadelphia, saying it was “busing people around to polls.”

From Los Angeles Times

Nearly a half-million people migrate into the region to work in the mines or to pick through mine tailings, hunting for stones that might have valuable jade inside.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• intelligence