Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Tailor?

\Tai"lor\, n. [OF. tailleor, F. tailleur, fr. OF. taillier, F. tailler to cut, fr. L. talea a rod, stick, a cutting, layer for planting. Cf. {Detail}, {Entail}, {Retail}, {Tally}, n.] 1. One whose occupation is to cut out and make men's garments; also, one who cuts out and makes ladies' outer garments. Well said, good woman's tailor . . . I would thou wert a man's tailor. --Shak. 2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The mattowacca; -- called also {tailor herring}. (b) The silversides. 3. (Zo["o]l.) The goldfish. [Prov. Eng.] {Salt-water tailor} (Zo["o]l.), the bluefish. [Local, U. S.] --Bartlett. {Tailor bird} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of small Asiatic and East Indian singing birds belonging to {Orthotomus}, {Prinia}, and allied genera. They are noted for the skill with which they sew leaves together to form nests. The common Indian species are {O. longicauda}, which has the back, scapulars, and upper tail coverts yellowish green, and the under parts white; and the golden-headed tailor bird ({O. coronatus}), which has the top of the head golden yellow and the back and wings pale olive-green.
\Tai"lor\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Tailored}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tailoring}.] To practice making men's clothes; to follow the business of a tailor. These tailoring artists for our lays Invent cramped rules. --M. Green.