trailing edge

In aerodynamics, this term describes a precise physical boundary where airflow converges. It is a technical term used primarily in engineering and aviation to discuss lift, drag, and control surfaces like flaps or ailerons. It is almost always contrasted with the leading edge, which is the front part of the airfoil.

When used in a non-technical or metaphorical sense, it describes the very back of a group or a sequence. In this context, it carries a connotation of struggle or precariousness, suggesting that the subject is barely maintaining their position within a moving collective.