tandem

American  

[tan-duhm] / ˈtæn dəm /

adverb

1. one following or behind the other.

   to drive horses tandem.

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adjective

1. having animals, seats, parts, etc., arranged tandem or one behind another.

noun

1. a vehicle, as a truck, tractor, or trailer, in which a pair or pairs of axles are arranged in tandem.

2. tandem bicycle.

3. tandem trailer.

4. a team of horses harnessed one behind the other.

5. a two-wheeled carriage with a high driver's seat, drawn by two or more horses so harnessed.

6. any of various mechanisms having a tandem arrangement.

idioms

1. in tandem,

   1. in single file.

      They swam in tandem.

   2. in association or partnership.

tandem British  

/ ˈtændəm /

noun

1. a bicycle with two sets of pedals and two saddles, arranged one behind the other for two riders

2. a two-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses harnessed one behind the other

3. a team of two horses so harnessed

4. any arrangement of two things in which one is placed behind the other

5. together or in conjunction

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adjective

1. used as, used in, or routed through an intermediate automatic telephone exchange

   a tandem exchange

adverb

1. one behind the other

   to ride tandem

Etymology

Origin of tandem

First recorded in 1735–45; special use (originally facetious) of Latin tandem “at length, finally,” equivalent to tam “so far” + -dem, demonstrative suffix

Explanation

Tandem describes an arrangement where people or animals are in formation, one behind the other. Couples attached at the hip sometimes like to ride tandem bicycles, which allow two people to pedal the same bike. How cute. In 1785, tandem first came into existence as a noun meaning “carriage pulled by horses harnessed one behind the other.” About a hundred years later, people started to use tandem to refer to bicycles with two seats. This type of bicycle has two sets of pedals and two seats, but only one set of wheels. To transform tandem into an adverb, just stick in in front of it. "In tandem" can just mean "together" — like two departments working in tandem on a project.

Example Sentences

That correlation between energy prices and bond yields has drawn a lot of attention in the market, as the two moved in tandem around the start of this month.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Despite a recent tandem movement, oil prices are not the primary driver of rising U.S.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Researchers developed a modified QuEChERS method using Z Sep⁺ clean up and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

By the age of 10, Rai was coached by Andrew Proudman - who also worked in the 3 Hammers pro shop - in tandem with another Wolverhampton pro Piers Ward.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

The other of the pair belonged to Jim, and the couple often used them in tandem to play World of War- craft together.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• club
• company
• lineup
• organization
• party
• side
• squad
• unit