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Glite Dictionary
tailpipe

tailpipe

17 3.5
A pipe at the back of a vehicle that sends exhaust fumes outside
  • noun
  • /ˈteɪlˌpaɪp/
: tubo de escape
  • The greater oxygen content reduces fuel efficiency by 1% over gasoline and reduces tailpipe CO emissions by 15%.
  • tailpipe emissions
  • tailpipe emission standards
  • tailpipe emissions control

It's just you can't see that pound of carbon dioxide trash that comes out of everybody's tailpipe on average every single mile we drive.

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Examples

  • Small puffs of exhaust came from the Mustang's tailpipe like vapor from the nose of a horse.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • So we're no longer getting tailpipe emissions of lead.

  • The administrator of the EPA is expected to announce the proposal limits on tailpipe emissions on on Wednesday.

  • Instead, these pollutants are emitted from tailpipes to the surrounding atmosphere.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The station wagon was in the driveway, gray clouds of exhaust puffing from the tailpipes.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The mechanic checked the tailpipe to see if there were any leaks in the exhaust system.

  • Carbon monoxide is released through the vehicle's tailpipe as it burns fuel.

  • He noticed that the tailpipe of his car was emitting black smoke after the long drive.

Synonyms

exhaust pipe
vstailpipe
  • Specialized
4 3.2

A pipe that carries gas from the engine out the back of a car

is the rear section that carries gases from the muffler outside

How Complex

exhaust
  • Specialized
33 4.1
catalytic converter
  • Specialized
3 3.5
muffler
  • US
20 4.4
exhaust pipe
  • Specialized
4 3.2
tailpipe
17 3.5

Surface Forms

tailpipe singular
tailpipes plural

Morphology

tailpipe = tail + pipe (transparent) = tail + pipe

The meaning is directly the result of combining 'tail' (rear) + 'pipe' (tube), yielding a pipe at the rear of a vehicle.

Etymology

Tailpipe is made from tail, meaning 'back' like an animal's tail, and pipe, meaning 'tube'. So it names the tube at the back of a vehicle that carries engine 'exhaust' out.