Tailgate

Tailgate is an American English word denoting the door or access 'gate' at the back of a station wagon, pickup truck, sport utility vehicle (SUV) or other similar type of vehicle that is hinged at the bottom and can be opened for the convenience of loading cargo into the rear of the vehicle. Traditional U.S. station wagons included a roll down window. Because of the potential for carbon-monoxide fumes, the tailgate window on station wagons should be closed whenever the engine is running. A similar vehicular feature, the hatch, hatchback or liftgate, is a door at the back of a vehicle that is hinged at the top and opens upward.