tailfin

US /ˈteɪlfɪn/ UK /ˈteɪlfɪn/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a decorative upswept extension on the rear of a car, popular in the 1950s and 1960s

The classic car was admired for its sleek tailfins.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a decorative upswept... fin wing flare extension spoiler

Etymology

A compound of tail (Old English 'hind part of an animal') + fin (Old English 'fin of a fish'), forming Modern English tailfin, a decorative fin-shaped extension on 1950s-style cars.

Topics

Transportation

External links

# tailfin

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈteɪlfɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈteɪlfɪn/

## Meanings
1. a decorative upswept extension on the rear of a car, popular in the 1950s and 1960s

## Examples
- The classic car was admired for its sleek tailfins.

## Synonyms
- fin
- wing
- flare
- extension
- spoiler

## Etymology
A compound of tail (Old English 'hind part of an animal') + fin (Old English 'fin of a fish'), forming Modern English tailfin, a decorative fin-shaped extension on 1950s-style cars.

## AI Etymology
Tailfin is a compound of tail (Old English 'hind part of an animal') + fin (Old English 'fin of a fish'), forming Modern English tailfin, a decorative fin-shaped extension on 1950s-style cars. In current use it is a noun meaning "a decorative upswept extension on the rear of a car, popular in the 1950s and 1960s". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The semantic development is therefore important as well as the form: the word moves from the older concrete, technical, or literal setting into the present figurative or specialized sense.

## Topics
- Transportation

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