tailwheel

T1A1I1L1W4H4E1E1L1

noun

A wheel attached to the tail of an aircraft that supports it when on the ground.

OriginEnglish wheel ← Middle English whel ← Old English hwēol →
RareScrabble 15
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Meanings

nountailwheel (plural tailwheels)

plural tailwheels

  1. aeronauticsA wheel attached to the tail of an aircraft that supports it when on the ground.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*taglą
  2. Proto-West Germanic*tagl
  3. Old Englishtæġl
  4. Middle Englishtayl
  5. Englishtail
  6. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-redup.
  7. Proto-Indo-European*kʷekʷléh₂
  8. Proto-Germanic*hweulō
  9. Old Englishhwēol
  10. Middle Englishwhel
  11. Englishwheel
  12. Englishtailwheel

From tail + wheel.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish pyrstöpyörä
  • pyrstöpyöräwheel attached to the tail of an aircraft
German Spornrad
  • Spornradwheel attached to the tail of an aircraft
Japanese 尾輪
  • 尾輪 (birin)wheel attached to the tail of an aircraft
Polish koło ogonowe tylne
  • koło ogonowe tylnewheel attached to the tail of an aircraft
Cite this entry
APA

tailwheel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tailwheel

MLA

“tailwheel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tailwheel. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tailwheel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tailwheel.

Source: tailwheel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.