Definition of "ringtail" [ring•tail]

• A small carnivorous raccoonlike mammal (Bassariscus astutus) of the southwest United States, having grayish or brownish fur and a black-banded tail. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The sails along the centre line of the ship are the fore-and-aft sails; these are the triangular jibs, staysails and trysails, and the trapezoidal spanker we have already mentioned, which sometimes has a gaff topsail over it and a "ringtail" behind it, as shown in our figure."
• "It consisted of an unclean and vicious-looking man in tramp's clothing, grinding an offensive hand-organ and domineering over a poor little terrorized "ringtail" monkey."
• "Recent media reports of the extinction of the lemuroid ringtail possum were "confused," the species is still around."