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🚗 To slide sideways 💇 A braided hairstyle 👗 A tail shape
to fishtail

to fishtail

5 7.1
To move from side to side because the wheels lose grip
  • verb
  • /ˈfɪʃteɪl/
translation icon : derrapar
  • The car fishtailed on the slick road after the rain, swerving from side to side as the driver tried to regain control.
  • car fishtailing
  • fishtail and swerve
  • fishtailed and skidded

There's a lot of fishtailing back and forth and sometimes retracing your steps.

Examples

  • The Lincoln spits snow as it grinds out of the lot and fishtails out onto the boulevard.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Extra weight on the rear wheels is to keep from fishtailing.

    A Scanner Darkly (2006)

  • The impact snapped my head and caused Mo to fishtail out of control.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The van in the other oncoming lane fishtails to a stop as well.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • In a matter of seconds, it popped up again, fishtailed down the hill, and stopped in a cloud of dust.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Terminator fights to control the van, which is fishtailing violently from the impact.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "I pull off the freeway, fishtailing on the dusty shoulder, and brake to a stop.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • A blue pickup shimmied along the valley road far below, fishtailing here and there on the loose gravel.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • He'd started fishtailing off the road, had overcorrected, and then slid across into my lane.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The van lurches wildly, hits a chunk of concrete in the street, skids, fishtailing violently from the impact.

    Fiction book (1996)

Antonyms

to stabilize
  • US
75 4.3

To become steady and stop changing

Compounds

fishtail bit
  • Specialized
9.9

A cutting tool that attaches to a drill to make holes in rock or soil

fishtail palm
  • Indian
8.3

A tree from warm countries with leaves shaped like a fish tail

How Unstable

to skid
3 3.5
to fishtail
5 7.1
to slide
716 1.0

Surface Forms

fishtail infinitive
fishtailed past
fishtailed past participle
fishtailing present participle
fishtails third person singular

Etymology

Fishtail comes from the image of a fish's tail, which swings side to side as the fish moves, and a car or plane does the same when it loses grip. So to fishtail is to 'swing' or 'swerve' from side to side.