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Glite Dictionary
coattail

coattail

20 7.6
A loose back flap of a formal coat that hangs below the waist
  • noun
  • /ˈkoʊtˌteɪl/
translation icon : cola (del abrigo)
  • As he walked across the stage, his coattails swayed gracefully behind him.
  • ride the coattails

Examples

  • LGBT organizations opted to "ride the coattails" of a larger, more organized movement in an effort to capitalize on the larger group's successes.

    Academic text (2016)

  • My fear is that Martin Howrylak will get into office on the coattails of Romney's projected win.

    Blog text (17)

  • Instead, he made a solo flight across the lawn, his coattails floating out behind him.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Parents ran after them to haul them back by their coattails, blaming each other for their children's bad behavior.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Now, I know you're going to make a great public servant, but right now your campaign needs my coattails, and you're not gonna win if I lose the election.

    The Leisure Class (2015)

  • The magician's elaborate outfit had long coattails that trailed behind him as he performed.

  • During the formal event, the men wore tails on their jackets, showcasing their elegant coattails.

Synonyms

coattails
vscoattail
4.7

The long back parts of a coat that hang down behind

is the singular form referring to a single rear flap of the garment

Idioms

to ride on someone's coattail
  • Informal
6.9

Use another person's success to get benefits without much effort

Surface Forms

coattail singular
coattails plural

Morphology

coattail = coat + tail (transparent) = coat + tail

The meaning is directly compositional: the 'tail' (hanging rear flap) of a 'coat', which is clear to learners who know both words.

Etymology

Coattail comes from the two simple words coat and tail — the 'tail' is the loose back flap of a coat, like the long flaps on a tailcoat. So, coattail means the part of a formal coat that hangs down below the waist.