whale's tail

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The distal bifurcation of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

[…] anterior descending coronary artery (i.e. the "mustache," "pitchfork," or "whale's tail"; Fig. 18.6, top); in the circumflex system, the distal bifurcation of the segment with the longest total distance that includes the[…]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

An alternative expression of the whale tail phenomenon where a thong peeks out above the waistband.

Register: slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “whale's tail” mean?

The distal bifurcation of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Is “whale's tail” formal or informal?

whale's tail is generally slang.