tailgate

Thân thiện

A family loads groceries into the trunk with the tailgate down.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A hinged or removable panel or door at the rear of a vehicle, such as a truck, station wagon, or SUV, that can be opened or lowered for loading and unloading cargo.
   • A similar structure, such as a hinged section at the back of a trailer.

2. Verb:

   • To drive a vehicle too closely behind another vehicle, leaving insufficient space to stop safely if the vehicle in front brakes suddenly.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • We loaded the furniture into the truck by lowering the tailgate.
  • He sat on the open tailgate of his SUV to put on his boots.
  • The pickup's tailgate had the manufacturer's logo stamped on it.

• Verb:

  • The aggressive driver began to tailgate the car in front of him.
  • It is illegal and unsafe to tailgate on the highway.
  • She flashed her brake lights to warn the vehicle tailgating her.

Advanced Usage

• Tailgate party (noun): A social gathering held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle, typically in a parking lot before a sporting event or concert.
  • We had a great tailgate before the football game, grilling burgers and playing music.

Variants and Related Words

• Tailgater (noun): A person or vehicle that follows another too closely.
  • The tailgater finally changed lanes and sped past us.

Synonyms

• Noun: Rear gate, hatch, liftgate (specifically on some SUVs and minivans that lifts upward).
• Verb: Follow too closely, ride someone's bumper.

Related Phrases

• To ride the tailgate (verb phrase): An informal phrase meaning to tailgate.
  • The truck was riding my tailgate all the way down the mountain road.

Học thuật

Noun

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

Verb

1. follow at a dangerously close distance
   • it is dangerous to tailgate another vehicle

Từ đồng nghĩa

• tailboard