The metal pipe at the back of a car or engine through which exhaust gases escape into the air.
Compound word: 'tail' (rear part) + 'pipe' (tube). 'Tail' comes from Old English 'tægel,' and 'pipe' from Old French 'pipe,' originally meaning a musical tube. The term became standardized in automotive terminology in the early 20th century.
The tailpipe is where your car literally breathes out its waste—and studying tailpipe emissions is how scientists discovered that cars were poisoning our air, making this humble pipe the accidental star witness in the fight against pollution!
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