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rooster tail

American  

noun

  1. the wake thrown up behind a speeding boat or the dust thrown up behind a speeding vehicle.


Etymology

Origin of rooster tail

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A speedboat trails “a rooster tail of foamy wake.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2023

The U-5, driven by J. Michael Kelly, sustained damage after getting caught in Theoret’s rooster tail.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2016

“It also produces a huge rooster tail of sample material.”

From Time • Jun. 22, 2016

“He’s a friend of my brother Tim. He’s a great guy. He’s so funny about that. That rooster tail in the water, it was just crazy.”

From Washington Times • Sep. 4, 2014

They kicked up a rooster tail of steam that made it almost impossible for Jason to see where they were going.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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