Definition of "fishtail" in English

noun

1. The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.

2. The skidding of the back of a vehicle from side to side.

3. A kind of chisel with a flared blade.

4. Ellipsis of fishtail palm.

verb

1. (intransitive) To swing the back of a vehicle (originally an aircraft) from side to side.

   • As we approached the runway, the pilot fishtailed slightly to reduce landing speed.

2. (transitive) To cause the back of (a vehicle) to swing from side to side.

3. (intransitive) To move with the tail swinging from side to side in this way.