bobtail
n.— «An American would be riding in the lead vehicle as commander and driving the last one as “bobtail”—a truck without a load that acts as a sort of sheepdog, rushing to help with any problems and making sure no one has drifted out of formation.» —“Truckers of Iraq’s Pony Express Are Risking It All for a Paycheck” by James Glanz in Safwan, Iraq New York Times Sept. 27, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...