Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One that makes, repairs, and alters garments such as suits, coats, and dresses.
  • intransitive verb To make (a garment), especially to specific requirements or measurements.
  • intransitive verb To fit or provide (a person) with clothes made to that person's measurements.
  • intransitive verb To make, alter, or adapt for a particular end or purpose.
  • intransitive verb To pursue the trade of a tailor.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who makes the outer garments of men, and women's riding-habits and other garments of heavy stuff; especially, one who makes such garments to order, as distinguished from a clothier, who makes garments for sale ready made.
  • noun In zoology: A tailor-bird.
  • noun The mattowacca, fall herring, or tailor-herring, Pomolobus mediocris.
  • noun A name in New South Wales of the fish Pomatomus saltatrix. It is called skipjack in Melbourne, a name by which it is also known in America, where it is more commonly called bluefish.
  • To make clothing, especially for men; follow the business of a tailor.
  • To deal with tailors, as for clothing.
  • To make clothes for; fit with or as with clothing.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One whose occupation is to cut out and make men's garments; also, one who cuts out and makes ladies' outer garments.
  • noun The mattowacca; -- called also tailor herring.
  • noun The silversides.
  • noun (Zoöl.), Prov. Eng. The goldfish.
  • noun (Zoöl.), [Local, U. S.] the bluefish.
  • noun (Zoöl.) any one of numerous species of small Asiatic and East Indian singing birds belonging to Orthotomus, Prinia, and allied genera. They are noted for the skill with which they sew leaves together to form nests. The common Indian species are Orthotomus longicauda, which has the back, scapulars, and upper tail coverts yellowish green, and the under parts white; and the golden-headed tailor bird (Orthotomus coronatus), which has the top of the head golden yellow and the back and wings pale olive-green.
  • intransitive verb To practice making men's clothes; to follow the business of a tailor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A person who makes, repairs, or alters clothes professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.
  • noun The fish Pomatomus saltatrix.
  • verb transitive To make, repair, or alter clothes.
  • verb transitive To make or adapt (something) for a specific need.
  • verb transitive To restrict (something) in order to meet a particular need

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb adjust to a specific need or market
  • noun a person whose occupation is making and altering garments
  • verb style and tailor in a certain fashion
  • verb create (clothes) with cloth

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman taillour, from Old French tailleor, from taillier, to cut, from Late Latin tāliāre, from Latin tālea, a cutting.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman tailour, from Old French tailleor, from taillier, from Late Latin talio, from Latin talea ("a cutting").

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