dovetail vs swallowtail

dovetail

noun
  • A line resembling a dovetail joint (sense 2.1). 

  • In full dovetail joint: a type of joint where adjoining components are fastened by multiple tenons cut into wedge shapes resembling a dove's tail, which interlock with mortises having corresponding shapes. 

  • The tail of a dove (family Columbidae); also, something having the shape of a dove's tail. 

  • A tenon cut into a wedge shape resembling a dove's tail so that it interlocks with a mortise having a corresponding shape in a dovetail joint. 

verb
  • Of several things: to combine or fit together well. 

  • To unite (components) with a dovetail (noun sense 2.1) or similar joint. 

  • To combine or fit (things) together well. 

  • To interweave (a number of algorithms or subprograms) so that they can be run more or less simultaneously. 

swallowtail

noun
  • A type of tailcoat with two long tapering tails.ᵂᵖ 

  • The forked tail of a swallow. 

  • Anything, such as a burgee, of a similar forked shape. 

  • Any of various butterflies of the family Papilionidae, many of which have a long extension to each hindwing. 

How often have the words dovetail and swallowtail occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )