Link Centre Dictionary

tailgate

tail·gate

UK/ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/ US/ˈteɪˌlɡeɪt/ rare uk us
noun (1) verb (1)

noun

1.

a gate at the rear of a vehicle; can be lowered for loading

Synonyms

verb

1.

follow at a dangerously close distance

  • “it is dangerous to tailgate another vehicle”

Origin

From tail + -gate, with reference to tail (“sexual intercourse”), as a pun on tailgate.

Phrases

  • security distance
  • tailgate party

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.