How is “turn tail” used?

In Night and the City (1950), one line is: “Hey, word's all over town that you made Kristo turn tail.”

Which movie is “turn tail” from?

The clip at the top of this page is from Night and the City (1950).

Hey, word's all over town that you made Kristo turn tail.

4 作品で登場 · 1 本目

to run away from a fight or dangerous situation

4 本の映画に登場

オックスフォード映画の 100%
to run away from a fight or dangerous situation
You think we brought them in so some die and ask the rest to turn tail?
Hey, word's all over town that you made Kristo turn tail.

定義：Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 第 9 版