Tailing

/ˈteɪlɪŋ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The act of following another vehicle closely.

The driver was criticized for tailing the car in front of him too closely.

The discarded material or waste left over after a mining operation.

The mining company stored the tailings in a large pond to prevent contamination.

A series of connected or sequential elements, especially in a list or data set.

The tailings of the report included insights into future trends.

verb

To follow another vehicle closely.

He was tailing the truck down the highway at a dangerous speed.

To collect or process tailings or waste material.

The team focused on tailing the leftovers from the excavation for further analysis.

The term comes from the verb 'tail', meaning to follow or to come after. The suffix '-ing' indicates the process of doing something.

tailings pond

A storage area for tailings, designed to contain and manage the waste.

tailing off

Gradually decreasing in intensity or strength.

the long tail

A business strategy that suggests niche products can collectively make up a significant market share.

tail

The part of an animal that extends from the back end; also refers to the end part of something.

To go or come after a person or thing.

To tail someone

I was tailing him to see what he was up to.

Tailing off

His enthusiasm was tailing off as the project progressed.