Standard Lemma guide

coattail

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K OW1 T T EY2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The flap at the back of a coat that hangs down, sometimes below the waist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Success of a figure, organization or movement that transfers to those who associate with it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, plural-normally

Examples

  • to ride the coattails

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To ride the coattails of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the loose back flap of a coat that hangs below the waist

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flap

History

Etymology

From coat + tail.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: frakkeskøde — flap at the back of a coat
  • Finnish: lieve — flap at the back of a coat
  • Finnish: hännys — flap at the back of a coat
  • French: pan — flap at the back of a coat
  • German: Schoß — flap at the back of a coat
  • German: Frackschoß — flap at the back of a coat
  • Irish: triopall casóige — flap at the back of a coat
  • Polish: poła — flap at the back of a coat
  • Spanish: faldón trasero — flap at the back of a coat
  • Danish: slipstrøm — transferred success
  • Polish: dzielony sukces — transferred success
  • Spanish: éxito transferido — transferred success