Webster's 1828 Dictionary
RAT-TAIL
n.In farriery, an excrescence growing from the pastern to the middle of the shank of a horse.
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
RAT-TAIL
RAT-TAIL Rat "-tail `, a.
Defn: Like a rat's tale in form; as, a rat-tail file, which is round, slender, and tapering. See Illust. of File.
RAT-TAIL
RAT-TAIL Rat "-tail `, n.
1. (Far. ) pl.
Defn: An excrescence growing from the pastern to the middle of the shank of a horse.
2. (Zoöl.) (a ) The California chimæra. See Chimæra. (b ) Any fish of the genus Macrurus. See Grenadier, 2.
RAT-TAILED
RAT-TAILED Rat "-tailed `, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having a long, tapering tail like that of a rat. Rat-tailed larva (Zoöl.), the larva of a fly of the genus Eristalis. See Eristalis. -- Rat-tailed serpent (Zoöl.), the fer-de-lance. -- Rat-tailed shrew (Zoöl.), the musk shrew.
New American Oxford Dictionary
rat-tail
rat-tail ▶noun a fish with a long narrow tail, in particular: • another term for grenadier ( sense 2 ). • another term for rabbitfish.
rat-tailed maggot
rat-tailed mag got ▶noun the aquatic larva of the drone fly, with a taillike telescopic breathing tube that enables it to breathe air while submerged.
Oxford Dictionary
rat-tail
rat-tail |ˈratteɪl | ▶noun 1 (also rat's tail ) a narrow hairless tail like that of a rat, or something that resembles one. • ( rat's tails ) Brit. informal hair hanging in lank, damp or greasy strands. 2 a fish with a long, thin tail, in particular: • another term for grenadier ( sense 2 ). • another term for rabbitfish ( sense 1 ).
rat-tailed maggot
rat-tailed mag ¦got ▶noun the aquatic larva of the drone fly, with a tail-like telescopic breathing tube that enables it to breathe air while submerged.
The Wordsmith Dictionary