Dictionary

tailback en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈteɪlˌbæk/ (General-American)

Etymology

From tail + back.

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK) A line of motor vehicles causing or the result of traffic congestion or a traffic jam.
   • The idea of a British warship supposedly menacing Spain is ludicrous. Is it meant to bomb Cadiz? Will its guns lift a rush-hour tailback in a colony that most Britons regard as awash with tax dodgers, drug dealers and right-wing whingers? The Gibraltarians have rights, but why British taxpayers should send warships to enforce them, even if just "on exercise", is a mystery. 2013 August 14, Simon Jenkins, The Guardian:
2. A running back or halfback who lines up furthest to the rear in an I formation.

Forms

Synonyms

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Translations (10)

sv bilkö (a traffic jam) · cs kolona (a traffic jam) · de Stau (a traffic jam) · nb bilkø (a traffic jam) · it colonna (a traffic jam) · pt fila (a traffic jam) · fr embouteillage (a traffic jam) · nl file (a traffic jam) · fi autojono (a traffic jam) · da bilkø (a traffic jam)