What does "tailgate" mean?
A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading.
Tailgate
name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading.
- Grammar: tailgate is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: around, bedog, cargo door, chase.
- Useful contrasts: avoid tailgate, do not operate tailgate, front door.
- Usage evidence: Tom sat next to Mary on the tailgate.
How to use "tailgate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tailgate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tailgate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tailgate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tailgate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tailgate" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "around" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tailgate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading.
"Drop the tailgate, please, and I'll load these pallets."
- 2 a gate at the rear of a vehicle; can be lowered for loading wordnet
- 3 The hinged rear door of a hatchback. British, especially
"Open up the tailgate, please, and retrieve her suitcases."
- 4 The downstream gate in the lock on a canal or river, or in an irrigation system.
"The locktender closed the tailgate and the chamber started to fill."
- 5 Ellipsis of tailgate party. US, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"Are you coming to the tailgate? We'll be grilling brisket."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A tunnel for drawing spent air away from the working face of a mine.
Verb
- 1 To drive dangerously close behind another vehicle. intransitive, transitive
"That idiot has been tailgating me for the last five minutes."
- 2 follow at a dangerously close distance wordnet
- 3 To follow another person through access control on their access, rather than on one’s own credentials, especially when entering a door controlled by a card reader.
"An email circulated to ABC employees says Gallagher is believed to have tailgated staff walking through the building’s high-security doors."
- 4 To privately purchase or sell a security immediately after trading in the same security for a client.
- 5 To have a tailgate party. US, intransitive
"“Hey, what are you guys doing?” “Dude, we're gonna tailgate the tryouts.” “Oh, shit. That's a good idea. Oh, you gonna bust out Green Man, bro?” “No. No Green Man.” “What's Green Man?” “Well, in high school, Charlie was like our school mascot.” “A mascot nobody wanted. He'd get wasted and dress in this green spandex bodysuit.” “Spandex?” “It was really sad.” “That's it.” “You gotta bring the Green Man suit.” “Yeah, no. Done with it.” “The spandex.” “Green Man was good. It got me through some hard times. But I'm done with it. Tell you what. You can wear it if you want, but I'm just gonna be relaxing, okay? This is gonna be about chilling out for me.” “No. This is gonna be exactly like Woodstock.”"
Proper Noun
- 1 Synonym of Monicagate.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
avoid tailgatedo not operate tailgatefront doorfront hatch
Example
"Tom sat next to Mary on the tailgate."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tailgate"?
Common synonyms include: around, bedog, cargo door, chase, clasp, cling to.
How do you use "tailgate" in a sentence?
Tom sat next to Mary on the tailgate.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From tail + gate. Compare liftgate.
Etymology 2
From tail + -gate, with reference to tail (“sexual intercourse”), as a pun on tailgate.