Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Swallowtail?

\Swal"low*tail`\, n. 1. (Carp.) A kind of tenon or tongue used in making joints. See {Dovetail}. 2. (Bot.) A species of willow. 3. (Fort.) An outwork with converging sides, its head or front forming a re["e]ntrant angle; -- so called from its form. Called also {priestcap}. 4. A swallow-tailed coat. This Stultz coat, a blue swallowtail, with yellow buttons. --Thackeray. 5. An arrow. --Sir W. Scott. 6. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of large and handsome butterflies, belonging to Papilio and allied genera, in which the posterior border of each hind wing is prolongated in the form of a long lobe. Note: The black swallowtail, or asterias (see {Papilio}), the blue swallowtail, or philenor, the tiger swallowtail, or turnus (see {Turnus}), and the zebra swallowtail, or ajax (see under {Zebra}) are common American species. See also {Troilus}.