fantail
nounUS /ˈfænˌteɪl/
Etymology From fan + tail. The sense of Rhipidura-genus birds is a calque of translingual Rhipidura.
1
Any of several birds, of the genus Rhipidura, from Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
2
Any of several domestic varieties of pigeon having a fan-shaped tail.
3
Any of several goldfish having a large fan-shaped tail.
- The Paranoids cast off, backed the Godzilla II out from the pier, turned and with a concerted whoop took off like a bat out of hell, nearly sending Di Presso over the fantail.1966 March, Thomas Pynchon, chapter 3, in The Crying of Lot 49, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, published November 1976, →ISBN, page 38:
5
A small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, used to turn the cap automatically to bring it into the wind.
6
A brimmed hat with just the back of the brim turned up.
- Derived terms
- Arafura fantail, black-and-white fantail, grey fantail, northern fantail, rufous-backed fantail, rufous fantail, streaked fantail warbler, yellow-bellied fairy-fantail, yellow-bellied fantail