tailpipe

noun

tail·​pipe ˈtāl-ˌpīp How to pronounce tailpipe (audio)
: an outlet by which engine exhaust gases are expelled from a vehicle (such as an automobile or jet aircraft)

Examples of tailpipe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
No tailpipes are visible in either case. Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 Carbon is still emitted from the tailpipe of a car running on the fuel, but since pre-existing carbon was used to create the fuel in the first place, no more is being created or added to the environment, hence the claim of sustainability. Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley toasted the city’s first hydrogen bus in 1995 with a glass of water collected from its tailpipe. Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Some 1980s vehicles emit more than 100 times the tailpipe pollution of a new vehicle, Barrett noted. Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tailpipe

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tailpipe was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tailpipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailpipe. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

tail pipe

noun
: an outlet by which engine exhaust gases are expelled from a vehicle (as an automobile or jet aircraft)

More from Merriam-Webster on tailpipe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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