Tandem Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms tandem American [tan-duhm] / ˈtæn dəm /

adverb

1. one following or behind the other.

   to drive horses tandem.

adjective

1. having animals, seats, parts, etc., arranged tandem or one behind another.

noun

1. a vehicle, as a truck, tractor, or trailer, in which a pair or pairs of axles are arranged in tandem.

2. tandem bicycle.

3. tandem trailer.

4. a team of horses harnessed one behind the other.

5. a two-wheeled carriage with a high driver's seat, drawn by two or more horses so harnessed.

6. any of various mechanisms having a tandem arrangement.

idioms

1. in tandem,

   1. in single file.

      They swam in tandem.

   2. in association or partnership.

tandem British / ˈtændəm /

noun

1. a bicycle with two sets of pedals and two saddles, arranged one behind the other for two riders

2. a two-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses harnessed one behind the other

3. a team of two horses so harnessed

4. any arrangement of two things in which one is placed behind the other

5. together or in conjunction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

1. used as, used in, or routed through an intermediate automatic telephone exchange

   a tandem exchange

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

1. one behind the other

   to ride tandem

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tandem

First recorded in 1735–45; special use (originally facetious) of Latin tandem “at length, finally,” equivalent to tam “so far” + -dem, demonstrative suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Still, the indexes have long moved in tandem.

From The Wall Street Journal

Carney's announcement on Thursday follows a deal with China last month that will see Canada ease tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles that it imposed in tandem with the US in 2024.

From BBC

But "users can forget the past when consoles always became cheaper in tandem with component costs falling over time", with price hikes potentially on the cards this year, he said.

From Barron's

Instead, they tend to move in tandem with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which rises when investors see inflation or economic risks ahead.

From MarketWatch

The broadcast aired her series “Nigella Bites” in the late 1990s and early aughts in tandem with the release of her book of the same name.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• club
• company
• lineup
• organization
• party
• side
• squad
• unit

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.