Spanish word

rabo

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈraβo/

Meaning

  • masculine nountail

Example

¿Dónde está el rabo del gato?

Where is the cat's tail?

Illustration for rabo (tail)

More examples

El perro movió el rabo cuando me vio.

The dog wagged the tail when it saw me.

Core concept

Flexible posterior extension of an animal's body used for balance and social signaling.

Common phrases

  • mover el rabo

    wag the tail

  • rabo del gato

    cat's tail

  • rabo de perro

    dog's tail

Similar words

cola: Rear extension of an animal's body visible as a tail, often flexible and expressive.

Definition in Spanish

Extremidad posterior alargada de ciertos animales que sirve para el equilibrio, la locomoción y la comunicación entre individuos.

Word origin

Spanish rabo comes from an early Iberian Romance word that established itself in the language and remains cognate with Portuguese and Galician forms.

Usage tips

  • Unlike cola, which also means queue and appears in many metaphors, rabo refers specifically to an animal tail and is not used for lines or related senses.

Opposites

Related words

  • rabitolittle tailnoun

Word lists with this word