TAIL. A rope spliced into the strop or round of any block, leaving a long end for making fast to rigging, spars, &c.—To tail on to a bank. To be aground abaft only.—To tail up or down a stream. When at anchor in a river, is as a ship's stern swings.
TAIL-BLOCK. A rope-stropped block, having an end of rope attached to it as a tail, by which it may be fastened to any object at pleasure.
TAIL OF A GALE. The latter part of a gale, when its violence is dying out.
TAIL ON, or Tally on. The order to clap on to a rope.
TAIL-RACE. The water which leaves the paddles of a steam-boat. Also, the water-course of a mill beyond the water-wheel.
TAIL-TACKLE. A luff-tackle purchase, with a hook in the end of the single block, and a tail to the upper end of the double block. Synonymous with watch-tackle.
TAIL UP. When a whale dives perpendicularly. In this case whalers expect the fish to rise near the same spot. Also termed fluking.
TAIL-VALVE. A valve in the air-pump at the opposite side from the condenser, and connected with the latter by a pipe under the air-pump: it opens when pressed by steam entering the condenser by the blow-through valve, but the weight of the atmosphere is sufficient to keep it shut so long as there is a vacuum in the condenser.
TAINT. By admiralty law, the taint of contraband extends to all property on board belonging to the owners of detected contraband articles.