1. tv. & in. to follow (someone) too closely in a car. That guy tailgating me is drunk, I think.
2. in. to have a tailgate party. We planned to tailgate before the game, but it was massively cold.
n. a small party held on the folded-down tailgate of a station wagon in a parking lot. (Something that is done before a ball game, concert, etc.) They had a tailgate party before the Bears game.