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# bobtail

«bobtail» in Mova's school dictionary: **A short tail, or a tail that has been cut short** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a bobtail, bobtails); adjective (bobtail or bobtailed)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A short tail, or a tail that has been cut short. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#m1)

2) An animal with a short tail, such as a bobtail cat or a rabbit. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#m2)

3) The Old English Sheepdog, a big shaggy dog, is often called a «bobtail». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons on animals, a short tail can be natural (rabbits, Manx cats, bobtail squid). In stories it describes animals. In everyday British talk, «bobtail» is a nickname for the Old English Sheepdog. Old phrase: «ragtag and bobtail» meant a ragged crowd.

### examples

- The rabbit's white bobtail bounced as it ran. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x1)
- Our neighbour has a fluffy bobtail sheepdog. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x2)
- A Manx cat has a bobtail or no tail at all. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x3)
- The bobtail squid glows in the dark sea. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x4)
- The horse had a bobtail. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x5)
- The bobtail dog shook water all over us. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x6)
- Deer flash their bobtails as a warning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/#x7)

### note

Countable: a bobtail, bobtails. «Bob» here means cut short, like a bob haircut. As an adjective you can say «bobtail» or «bobtailed».

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «bobtail» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bobtail/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.