tandem

1 of 3

noun

tan·​dem ˈtan-dəm How to pronounce tandem (audio)
1
b(1)
: a 2-seated carriage drawn by horses harnessed one before the other
(2)
: a team so harnessed
c
: a vehicle (such as a motortruck) having close-coupled pairs of axles
2
: a group of two or more arranged one behind the other or used or acting in conjunction

tandem

2 of 3

adverb

: one after or behind another
ride tandem

tandem

3 of 3

adjective

1
: consisting of things or having parts arranged one behind the other
2
: working or occurring in conjunction with each other
Phrases
in tandem
1
: in partnership or conjunction
2
: in a tandem arrangement

Examples of tandem in a Sentence

Noun The team has a tandem of talented guards.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
As an all-around baseball player, Soto couldn’t ride tandem on Fernando’s motorcycle. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2023
Adjective
Wearing layers The idea behind two-layer—called tandem—photovoltaic devices is very simple. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 7 July 2023 Chiu and her husband, Jeff Roth, who are in their late 40s and live in Newton, are among many Greater Boston couples who trace the origins of their hobby back to Ed Sassler, head of tandem sales at Wheelworks in Belmont. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Nov. 2022 Students study welding and take tandem English language classes during two back-to-back terms over the course of six months. oregonlive, 27 Oct. 2022 Firefighters found the woman trapped under the front axle of the tandem-style bus, the fire department said in a news release. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 July 2022 An even better and definitely much easier way to enjoy those vistas is a tandem paraglide flight down over Kaş from nearby Babadağ. Lisa Morrow, CNN, 25 Apr. 2022 Windsports also offers tandem flight lessons at Kagel Mountain in Angeles National Forest. Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2021 The contest, a spectator favorite, includes tandem rides for dogs and their human friends or furry friends along with tricks and costumes. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2021 If there are two gigawatts of tandem solar cells sold by next December, not just by Cubic, but by any manufacturer, van Mierlo wins. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tandem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin, at last, at length (taken to mean "lengthwise"), from tam so; akin to Old English thæt that

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1b(1)

Adverb

circa 1795, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tandem was circa 1785

Dictionary Entries Near tandem

Cite this Entry

“Tandem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tandem. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tandem

1 of 2 noun
tan·​dem ˈtan-dəm How to pronounce tandem (audio)
1
a
: a two-seated carriage drawn by horses hitched one behind the other
2
: a group of two or more arranged one behind the other

tandem

2 of 2 adverb or adjective
: one behind another
Etymology

Noun

from Latin tandem "at length, at last"

Word Origin
Tandem is used to describe many things that involve the connecting of one object to another similar object behind it. A tandem tractor-trailer truck has one trailer hitched behind another, which is attached to the truck body, or tractor. A bicycle built for two is called a tandem bicycle because it has one seat and set of pedals behind another. The first use of the word tandem in English was for a carriage pulled by one horse hitched behind, rather than beside, another. Whoever first used the term in English apparently was making a play on words. The Latin word tandem meant "at length" referring to time, but in English tandem came to mean "at length" or "lengthwise," referring to position.
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