Tailgate

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/

Definitions

1. To drive very close behind another vehicle ; a social gathering near the rear of a vehicle, especially before a sports event
2. To closely trail a vehicle on the road, often dangerously ; a casual outdoor party held by a vehicle's rear hatch, popular at sporting events
3. To keep an unsafe distance behind another car while driving ; an event where people gather around the back of vehicles to eat and socialize before a game

Etymology: "Tailgate" is about as transparent as English compounds get: "tail" plus "gate," the rear door of a vehicle. The hinged or lifting panel at the back of a car, van or pickup takes its name from the gate that closed off the back of a horse-drawn wagon, and the compound later extended to the vehicle itself. The verb "to tailgate," meaning to follow another vehicle too closely, grew naturally from that noun, since a driver sitting almost against the rear of the car ahead is effectively at its tailgate. The party sense developed in the same way. People parked with their tailgates down and set out food and drink, and the gathering took the name of the activity. The compound's transparency is what makes it useful: anyone can see the rear of a vehicle in both the road sense and the social one. Compare the closely related "liftgate," which names the same rear door on hatchbacks and SUVs that lift upward rather than swinging out.

Synonyms: hatchback, backdoor, trunk