rooster tail

noun

: a high arching spray (as of water, dust, or snow) thrown up behind a fast-moving motorboat, motor vehicle, or skier

Examples of rooster tail 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.
The aerodynamic downforce generated by the cars sends up huge rooster tails of spray from the rear diffusers, with more water pumped into the airflow by the treaded intermediate or wet tires. ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025 Instead, pre-rinse anything that has more than a modest rooster tail of grit on it; just one or two hand soaks and rinses is enough to get most of the gunk out. Joe Lindsey, Outside Online, 17 July 2021 Byron and Logano said the visibility was next to zero on the track's two high-speed straights because of the rooster tail of spray spit out by the cars ahead. Jim Vertuno, Star Tribune, 22 May 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rooster tail was in 1934

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Cite this Entry

“Rooster tail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rooster%20tail. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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