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Webster 1913 Edition

Swallowtail

Swal′low-tailˊ

,
Noun.
1.
(Carp.)
A kind of tenon or tongue used in making joints. See
Dovetail
.
2.
(Bot.)
A species of willow.
3.
(Fort.)
An outwork with converging sides, its head or front forming a reentrant angle; – so called from its form. Called also
priestcap
.
4.
A swallow-tailed coat.
This Stultz coat, a blue
swallowtail
, with yellow buttons.
Thackeray.
5.
An arrow.
Sir W. Scott.
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.
☞ 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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