Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
DOVETAIL
I. noun
Date: 1573
something resembling a dove's tail,
II. verb
Date: circa 1656
transitive verb
1. to join by means of dovetails, to cut to a dovetail,
2. to fit skillfully to form a whole, to fit together with, intransitive verb to fit together into a whole