Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
short-tailed

short-tailed

4.0
Having a short tail, like some birds or monkeys
  • adjective
  • /ˈʃɔrtˌteɪld/
translation icon : de cola corta
  • Short-tailed hawks are particularly active in the colder months, making them a popular sight for birdwatchers.
  • short-tailed albatross

Examples

  • Short-tailed albatrosses attempt to grab fish bait on the wing but get hooked and eventually drown.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Today, short-tailed albatrosses remain vulnerable to long-line fishing.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Dippers, or water ouzels, are short-tailed, dark gray birds that live along stream edges year-round.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The short-tailed albatross is known for its distinctive appearance and vulnerability.

  • Dippers are small, short-tailed birds that can often be spotted by the water's edge.

How Long

long tail
2 3.3
short-tailed
4.0
tailless
1 3.9

Surface Forms

short-tailed positive

Morphology

short-tailed = short + tail (transparent) = short + tail + ed

The adjective is a straightforward compound 'short' + 'tailed' (tail + -ed), so a learner who knows 'short' and 'tail' can infer 'having a short tail'.

Etymology

Short-tailed is made from the simple words short ('not long') and tail ('the back part of an animal'), so it describes an animal that has a 'short' tail.