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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.

See Examples For:

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 got this 50-foot putt and there is so much water that there’s this big rooster tail across the green and he drops it in the hole.”

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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