tandem

See also: Tandem and tándem

English

Etymology

From Latin tandem (“at length, at last (of time)”), from tam (“so”) + -dem. In English, applied humorously (by someone who knew Latin) to two horses harnessed "at length" instead of side-by-side. Sense of bicycles with two seats from 1884.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtændəm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

tandem (plural tandems)

1. A bicycle in which two people sit one behind the other, both able to pedal but only the person in front able to steer

   We used to ride this tandem.

2. An arrangement of two or more objects arranged one behind the other.

   The ponies are driven in tandem.

Synonyms

• tandem bicycle

Derived terms

Derived terms

• in tandem
• tandem cart
• tandem engine
• tandem spoke

• tandem system
• tandem trailer
• tandem wheel
• tandemwise

Translations

bicycle

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 雙人自行車, 双人自行车 (shuāngrén zìxíngchē)

• Czech: tandem (cs) m
• Danish: tandem (da) c, tandemcykel c
• Dutch: tandem (nl) m
• Faroese: tvísúkkla f
• Finnish: tandem (fi), tandempyörä
• French: tandem (fr) m
• German: Tandem (de) n
• Greek: τάντεμ n (tántem)

• Hungarian: tandem (hu)
• Ido: tandemo (io)
• Italian: tandem (it) m
• Japanese: タンデム自転車 (tandemu jitensha)
• Norman: bike à deux f
• Portuguese: tandem (pt) m
• Russian: танде́м (ru) m (tandɛ́m)
• Spanish: tándem m
• Vietnamese: xe đạp đôi

arrangement

• Dutch: tandem (nl) m
• Finnish: tandem (fi)

• Portuguese: fila (pt) f, linha (pt) f
• Russian: танде́м (ru) m (tandɛ́m), па́ра (ru) f (pára)

Adverb

tandem (not comparable)

1. One behind the other.

   ride tandem on a bicycle-built-for-two

Translations

One behind the other

• Finnish: peräkanaa (fi)
• Ido: tandeme (io)

• Russian: гусько́м (ru) (gusʹkóm), цу́гом (ru) (cúgom), танде́мом (tandémom) (on a bicycle)
• Tagalog: angkas

Synonyms

• in tandem

Adjective

tandem (not comparable)

1. Together; working as one.

   Their skillful tandem work made the project successful and quick.

Translations

together; working as one

• Dutch: samen- (nl)

• Finnish: yhteistyössä, yhdessä (fi)

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Czech

Etymology

Via German Tandem, from English tandem, originally from Latin tandem (“at last”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtandɛm/

Noun

tandem m

1. tandem

Declension

Declension of tandem

	singular	plural
nominative	tandem	tandemy
genitive	tandemu	tandemů
dative	tandemu	tandemům
accusative	tandem	tandemy
vocative	tandeme	tandemy
locative	tandemu	tandemech
instrumental	tandemem	tandemy

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑn.dɛm/

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology

From Latin tandem.

Noun

tandem m (plural tandems, diminutive tandempje n)

1. tandem (vehicle, bicycle)
2. tandem (arrangement)
3. (biology) A phase in the mating ritual of dragonflies.
4. A pair, a couple, a duo.

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French

Etymology

From Latin tandem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɑ̃.dɛm/

Noun

tandem m (plural tandems)

1. tandem (vehicle, bicycle)

Anagrams

• dament

Further reading

• “tandem” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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Italian

Noun

tandem m (invariable)

1. tandem (all senses)

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Latin

Etymology

From tam (“so”) +‎ -dem (“new interpreted particle from īdem”). Compare with its earlier doublet: tamen.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈtan.dem/, [ˈtan.dẽ]

Adverb

tandem (not comparable)

1. at length, at last, finally, eventually

References

• tandem in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• tandem in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “tandem” in Félix Gaffiot’s Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette (1934)
• Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press

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Portuguese

Noun

tandem m (plural tandens)

1. tandem (bicycle with two seats and two sets of pedals)

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Spanish

Noun

tandem m (plural tandems)

1. tandem
2. language exchange