tailback

American  

[teyl-bak] / ˈteɪlˌbæk /

noun

Football.

1. the offensive back who lines up farthest behind the line of scrimmage, as in a single wingback or double wingback formation.

2. the position played by this back.

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tailback British  

/ ˈteɪlˌbæk /

noun

1. a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction

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Etymology

Origin of tailback

First recorded in 1935–40; tail ¹ + back ¹

Example Sentences

Even without their star tailback, the Bulldogs scored six touchdowns — all on the ground — to defeat host Palisades 42-21 in a City Section Open Division quarterfinal playoff game.

From Los Angeles Times

With 72 of his rushing yards against the Dolphins coming before impact, the 5-foot-8 tailback had four carries for 10 yards or more.

From Los Angeles Times

Interim coach Terrence Whitehead, a former City player of the year for Crenshaw in 2001 and former Oregon Ducks tailback, took the reins of the offense and day-to-day operations of the program.

From Los Angeles Times

Having won UCLA’s starting tailback job before the end of his freshman season and scoring a touchdown on his first preseason NFL carry, Foster said he also expects early success as a head coach.

From Los Angeles Times

Our view of the Bears’ situation does not require much context or many sentences: Simply put, they managed to retain the one player they could not lose: tailback Jaydn Ott.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• fullback
• halfback