Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
taillight

taillight

30 2.0
A red light at the back of a car that makes the car easier to see at night
  • noun
  • /ˈteɪlˌlaɪt/
translation icon : luz trasera
  • Your taillight is busted!

Examples

  • Then the truck was gone, the taillights disappearing around a bend.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I'm glad that you got your taillights fixed.

    Bridesmaids (2011)

  • You got a left taillight out.

    S.W.A.T. (2003)

  • You stop in the middle of the road, you got a taillight out.

    Fright Night (2011)

  • You have a taillight out.

    Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

  • Cars crawl by on the road outside, their taillights stretching over the hill.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Well, that's because your taillight is out and we couldn't see you brake.

    The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)

  • I started to speak, but then he was gone, the taillights glowing red in the darkness.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • And as the brown Mazda pulls out of the driveway, the taillights turn red, growing smaller and smaller.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The driver was pulled over because his left taillight was not functioning.

Synonyms

rear light
vstaillight
  • UK
1 2.1

A red light at the back of a car that shows where it is

is about general rear safety lighting rather than only marking position
tail lamp
vstaillight
2.3

A red light at the back of a car that shows it to drivers behind

is focused on general safety visibility at night or poor conditions
rear lamp
vstaillight
  • UK
2.7

A red light at the back of a car that helps other drivers see it

is the specific safety lamp used mainly for night or low visibility

Antonyms

headlight
95 1.5

A bright lamp at the front of a car or train that lights the road ahead

How Bright

brake light
  • Specialized
6 2.2
taillight
30 2.0
reflector
9 4.1

Surface Forms

taillight singular
taillights plural

Morphology

taillight = tail + light (transparent) = tail + light

Clear compound combining 'tail' (rear) + 'light' (lamp), yielding the common meaning 'rear lamp' used on vehicles.

Etymology

Taillight is made of two simple parts, tail ('back end') and light ('a source of light'). So a taillight is the light at the back of a car that helps other drivers see it in the dark, which is why it is usually red for safety.