/ Dictionary / Index C coattail: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: coat•tail Pronunciation: (kōt'tāl"), [key] — n. the back of the skirt on a man's coat or jacket. one of the two back parts of the skirt of a coat, esp. one of the tails on a tail coat. aided by association with another person: The senator rode into office on the President's coattails. immediately after or as a result of: His decline in popularity followed on the coattails of the scandal. —adj. gained by association with another, esp. with a successful or celebrated person: coattail benefits. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: coattail (Thesaurus) Coatsworth coat-trailing Related Content Daily Word Quiz: censure Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language