Aileron

/ˈeɪləɹɑn/ noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The hinged part on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control longitudinal turns.
  2. 2
    an airfoil that controls lateral motion wordnet
  3. 3
    A half gable, as at the end of a penthouse or of the aisle of a church.

Synonyms

All synonyms
aeroplaneairplanecontrol surfacepartsroll control surfacewing control surface

Example

More examples

"The pilot controls the roll of the plane by raising one aileron or the other with a control wheel."

Etymology

Borrowed from French aileron, diminutive of aile (“wing”), also refers to the extremities of a bird's wings used to control their flight. It first appeared in print in the 7th edition of Cassell's French-English Dictionary of 1877, with its lead meaning of "small wing". In the context of powered airplanes it appears in print about 1908, in the French aviation journal L'Aérophile.

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