Meaning & use
taillight
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A red light at the back of a vehicle that shows its position and warns other drivers.
Grammar: Countable: one taillight, two taillights. Often used in the plural: 'The taillights were on.'
Patterns
- turn on the taillight
- the taillight is broken
- a taillight bulb
The taillight on the left side of the car is not working.
She checked that both taillights were shining before driving at night.
A police officer stopped him because his taillight was out.
Word forms
| plural | taillights |
|---|
Common combinations
- broken taillight
- He was pulled over for a broken taillight.
- taillight bulb
- You can buy a replacement taillight bulb at any auto shop.
- left taillight
- The left taillight is cracked.
- taillight assembly
- The mechanic replaced the entire taillight assembly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rear light
- A more general term that can refer to any light at the back, not just the red taillight.
- tail lamp
- A formal or technical synonym, often used in British English.
Word family
- headlight noun
- The large light at the front of a vehicle.
Commonly confused: taillight or headlight?
taillight vs headlight
A headlight is at the front and is usually white; a taillight is at the back and is red.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'taillight' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A taillight is at the back and helps others see the car. Option 0 describes a headlight; option 1 describes a turn signal; option 3 describes a headlight again.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “taillight”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.