fork-tail, a. and n.
† A. adj. = forked-tail(ed. Obs.
| 1611 Florio, Follo, an eare-wig..or fork-taile vermine. |
B. n.
1. (See quot. 1753.)
| 1753 Chambers Supp., Forktail..a name given to the salmon, while in the fourth years growth. 1818 in Todd. 1861 Act 24 & 25 Vict. c. 109. §4 Salmon..known by the names..blue pole, fork tail..or by any other local name. |
2. (See quot. 1893.)
| 1893 Newton Dict. Birds, Forktail, of old time used in England for the Kite, but now applied in India to the birds of the genus Henicurus. |
Hence fork-tailed a., having a forked tail; used in the names of birds, etc. (cf. forked-tailed).
| 1694 J. Ray in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 200 A kind of fork-tail'd..sea-swallow. 1828 J. S. Sebright Hawking 44 The fork-tailed kites were much flown, some years ago. 1868 Wood Homes without H. v. 103 The Fork-tailed Date Shell (Lithodomus caudigera). |