fifth-wheel trailer
[ fifth-hweel, -weel or, often, fith- ]
/ ˈfɪfθˌʰwil, -ˌwil or, often, ˈfɪθ- /
noun
See under fifth wheel(def 3).
Words nearby fifth-wheel trailer
fifth monarchy men,
fifth position,
fifth republic,
fifth wheel,
fifth-generation,
fifth-wheel trailer,
fifthly,
fiftieth,
fifty,
fifty-eight,
fifty-eighth
Definition for fifth-wheel trailer (2 of 2)
fifth wheel
noun
a horizontal ring or segment of a ring, consisting of two bands that slide on each other, placed above the front axle of a carriage and designed to support the forepart of the body while allowing it to turn freely in a horizontal plane.
a similar device used as a coupling to connect a semitrailer to a tractor.
a similar coupling between a heavy-duty pickup truck and a camping trailer (fifth-wheel trailer) that extends over the bed of the truck.
an extra wheel for a four-wheeled vehicle.
a superfluous, unneeded, or unwanted person or thing: They enjoy making any outsider feel like a fifth wheel.
Origin of fifth wheel
First recorded in 1870–75
British Dictionary definitions for fifth-wheel trailer
fifth wheel
noun
a spare wheel for a four-wheeled vehicle
- the coupling table of an articulated vehicle
- a steering bearing that enables the front axle of a horse-drawn vehicle to rotate relative to the body
a superfluous or unnecessary person or thing
Cultural definitions for fifth-wheel trailer
fifth wheel
A hanger-on; a person who serves no function: “The vice president felt like a fifth wheel after his exclusion from the committee.”
Idioms and Phrases with fifth-wheel trailer
fifth wheel
An extra and unnecessary person or thing, as in He was the only one without a date, so he felt like a fifth wheel. This expression, which alludes to an unneeded wheel on a four-wheel vehicle, may have originated as long ago as 1631, when Thomas Dekker wrote Match Me in London: “Thou tiest but wings to a swift gray Hounds heel, And addest to a running Chariot a fifth wheel.”