from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Swallowtail \Swal"low*tail`\, n.
1. (Carp.) A kind of tenon or tongue used in making joints.
See {Dovetail}.
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2. (Bot.) A species of willow.
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3. (Fort.) An outwork with converging sides, its head or
front forming a reentrant angle; -- so called from its
form. Called also {priestcap}.
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4. A swallow-tailed coat.
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This Stultz coat, a blue swallowtail, with yellow
buttons. --Thackeray.
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5. An arrow. --Sir W. Scott.
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6. (Zool.) 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.
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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}.
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