tail lamp
- noun
- /teɪl læmp/
:
luz trasera
- The mechanic checked the wiring and confirmed that the tail lamp was functioning correctly.
Examples
-
After hitting a pothole, I noticed that one of my tail lamps was out and needed to be replaced.
-
A directed brake/tail lamp will require an electronic flasher/blinker unit, which can be commonly sold at your local auto parts store.
Blog text (10) -
The tail lamp on my car lights up red to alert drivers behind me when I stop.
Synonyms
30
2.0
A red light at the back of a car that makes the car easier to see at night
1
2.1
A red light at the back of a car that shows where it is
A red light at the back of a car that helps other drivers see it
How Bright
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a light mounted at the rear of a vehicle' is directly and transparently composed from 'tail' (rear part) + 'lamp' (light). This is a straightforward compound noun following common English and cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Tail lamp: The name tail lamp comes from the simple picture of a lamp at the tail, the 'rear' of a vehicle. In early times, horse carriages and early cars had small lamps hung at the back to show other drivers at night, so today tail lamp means the red light at the rear that shows a vehicle is there.