taillight

American  

[teyl-lahyt] / ˈteɪlˌlaɪt /

noun

• taillights
  plural

1. a light, usually red, at the rear of an automobile, train, etc.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• taillights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of taillight

First recorded in 1835–45; tail ¹ + light ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

taillight taillights

The updated taillight assemblies and deck lid treatment luxe up the rear end nicely.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

The officer walked up to my idling Impala and informed me that my left taillight was out.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

An orange car pulled into the parking lot, with a busted taillight, and a few members of the group got up and hobbled over.

From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026

Kevin O’Hara described finding six or seven pieces of a broken taillight and O’Keefe’s sneaker in the snow, but acknowledged that the scene was left unsecured for hours before the search.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

Lyons, a twenty-four-year-old black man, was driving his car in Los Angeles one morning when he was pulled over by four police officers for a burned-out taillight.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

The body panels have exposed fasteners, allowing—even encouraging—DIY’ers to swap out panels and upgrade exterior features, such as fog lights, signals, headlights and taillights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

“Instead of looking at taillights and stoplights, you’re watching hawks fly and seeing birds and deer and elk,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

It’s like the dirt on your windshield and you’re driving at night and the taillights on the cars are all blurry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2023

Hyundai has also redesigned the taillights and rear bumper.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023

His tires screeched when he peeled away, his taillights blinking red in the dimming light.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini