tailfin C1 Topic:Transportation 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... finwingflareextensionspoiler Etymology AI details 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 Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 markdown