- any tracheophyte plant of the genus Equisetum, having jointed stems with whorls of small dark toothlike leaves and producing spores within conelike structures at the tips of the stems: phylum Sphenophyta
- a stylized horse's tail formerly used as the emblem of a pasha, the number of tails increasing with rank
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
horsetail /ˈhɔːsˌteɪl/ n
horse′ tail′,
horse•tail (hôrs′tāl′),USA pronunciation n.
- Clothinga ponytail.
- 1870–75
horse•tail (hôrs′tāl′),USA pronunciation n.
- Plant BiologyAlso called scouring rush. any nonflowering plant of the genus Equisetum, having hollow, jointed stems.
- a horse's tail formerly used as a Turkish military standard or as an ensign of a pasha, the number of tails increasing with the rank.
- Middle English horse tayle. See horse, tail1 1350–1400
'horsetail' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):