A streamlined, tapered rear section of a vehicle or projectile designed to reduce air resistance and improve aerodynamic efficiency.
Compound of 'boat' and 'tail', from Old English 'tægel'. The term uses 'boat' metaphorically because the tapered shape resembles the rear of a boat, which naturally reduces water resistance.
Boattail design appears in everything from bullets to cars—it's a principle borrowed from maritime design showing how nature's solutions (boat hulls) inspire modern engineering across completely different fields!
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