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Curtail vs Dovetail - What's the difference?

curtail | dovetail |

As verbs the difference between curtail and dovetail

is that curtail is (obsolete) to cut short the tail of an animal while dovetail is (woodworking) to unite with a dovetail joint.

As nouns the difference between curtail and dovetail

is that curtail is (architecture) a scroll termination, as of a step, etc while dovetail is (woodworking) a type of joint where adjoining boards are fastened by interlocking fan-shaped cutouts.

curtail

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (obsolete) To cut short the tail of an animal
    • ''Curtailing horses procured long horse-hair.
  • To shorten or abridge the duration of something; to truncate.
    • When the audience grew restless, the speaker curtailed her speech.
  • (figuratively) To limit or restrict, keep in check.
    • Their efforts to curtail spending didn't quite succeed.
  • * Macaulay
    • Our incomes have been curtailed ; his salary has been doubled.

    Synonyms

    * (animal's tail) crop, dock * shorten * behedge, control, limit, restrain

    Derived terms

    * curtailer * curtailment

    Related terms

    * curt * curtal

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (architecture) A scroll termination, as of a step, etc.

    • Anagrams

    *

    dovetail

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (woodworking) A type of joint where adjoining boards are fastened by interlocking fan-shaped cutouts.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (woodworking) To unite with a dovetail joint.
  • To fit together well.
    • The parts of your essay should dovetail so that it is cohesive and coherent.

    Coordinate terms

    * finger joint

    Anagrams

    *