Tailor, Detail and Retail All Mean Cutting
A tailor makes clothes to measure. The French verb behind the word means to cut, and it also gives English detail and retail.
A tailor makes or alters clothing to fit a particular person. The name is about cutting, not sewing: Old French *tailler* meant to cut, and the same verb produced *detail*, something cut down small, and *retail*, selling goods cut into small quantities. A tailor is, quite literally, a cutter.
- A maker of fitted clothes. *A Savile Row tailor.*
- Verb, to adapt. *Tailor the course to the group.*
- Tailored — fitted, or adapted. *A tailored jacket.*
- Tailor-made — made to measure, or perfectly suited. *A tailor-made solution.*
- Tailoring — the craft. *Traditional tailoring.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tailor | A skilled tailor. |
| Plural | tailors | Local tailors. |
| Verb | tailor | Tailor the advice. |
| Adjective | tailored | A tailored coat. |
| Related | retail | Retail prices. |
- The tailor took the measurements twice.The trade.
- The programme is tailored to each pupil.The modern verb.
- The role was tailor-made for her.Idiomatic praise.
The tailler family
- Tailor — one who cuts cloth
- Detail — literally a cutting down, hence a small part
- Retail — selling in small cut quantities
- Entail — originally a legal cutting-down of inheritance rights
- Tally — from a notched stick, a related cutting word
Anglo-French *taillour*, from Old French *tailler*, to cut, from Late Latin *taliare*. English has used it since the 1200s.
Are tailor and retail related?
Yes. Both come from the French verb tailler, to cut. Retail means selling goods in small cut portions.
What does tailor-made mean?
Literally, made to measure. Figuratively, perfectly suited to a person or purpose.