Word: tandem Part of Speech: noun Etymology: PIE word *téh₂m The noun is borrowed from Latin tandem (“of time: at last, at length, finally”), applied humorously in English to two horses harnessed “at length” (that is, in a single line) instead of side-by-side. Tandem is derived from tam (“so, to such an extent”) + -dem (demonstrative suffix). The adjective, adverb, and verb are derived from the noun. Pronunciation: /ˈtændəm/, [ˈtɛəndəm] 1. A carriage pulled by two or more draught animals (generally draught horses) harnessed one behind the other, both providing pulling power but only the animal in front being able to steer. Labels: also, attributive, countable Example: [H]e was a man whose head was at this time entirely full of gigs, and tandems, and unicorns: business was his aversion; pleasure was his business. Example: A friend of mine accompanies me in my carriage to Edinburgh. There we shall leave it, and proceed in a tandem (a species of open carriage) through the western passes to Inverary, where we shall purchase shelties, to enable us to view places inaccessible to vehicular conveyances. 2. Two draught animals (generally draught horses) harnessed one behind the other. Labels: also, attributive, broadly, countable, uncountable Example: Later in the day the Row is empty, but, on the other hand, the pleasure horse monopolises the circle, now comparatively deserted. Singly, in pairs, tandems, and fours, he draws the family carriage with a lozenge on the panels, the brougham of the fashionable doctor, the coupé of the popular actress, the man about town's smart dog-cart. 3. A thing with two components arranged one behind the other. Labels: also, attributive, broadly, countable, uncountable Example: If you want a canoe that can seat both of you comfortably, you’ll need a tandem. 4. A thing with two components arranged one behind the other. Labels: abbreviation, also, alt-of, attributive, broadly, countable, ellipsis, specifically, uncountable 5. A hollow metal tube containing radioactive material, inserted through the vagina into the uterus to treat gynecological cancer. Labels: also, attributive, broadly, countable, uncountable Example: If an interstitial implant is placed in a patient with an intact uterus, a tandem should be inserted and loaded with cesium 137 or iridium 192. 6. A group of two or more machines, people, etc., working together; hence (uncountable), close collaboration. Labels: also, attributive, countable, figuratively Example: Stubb's whale had been killed some distance from the ship. It was a calm; so, forming a tandem of three boats, we commenced the slow business of towing the trophy to the Pequod. 7. A method of language learning based on mutual exchange, where ideally each learner is a native speaker in the language the other person wants to learn. Labels: also, attributive, figuratively, uncountable Example: Spanish and English tandem learners discuss the meaning of a given word in a semi-structured conversation. […] Tandem learning is the term used to describe the learning which takes place when native speakers and learners of each other's language learn from each other and help each other learn. […] Tandem learners are responsible for identifying their own needs, setting their own goals and finding means to achieve them.