fuselage

[ fyoo-suh-lahzh, -lij, -zuh-, fyoo-suh-lahzh, -zuh- ]

noun

, Aeronautics.

1. the complete central structure to which the wing, tail surfaces, and engines are attached on an airplane.

fuselage

/ ˈfjuːzɪˌlɑːʒ /

noun

1. the main body of an aircraft, excluding the wings, tailplane, and fin

Word History and Origins

Origin of fuselage¹

1905–10; < French, equivalent to fusel ( é ) spindle-shaped (derivative of fuseau spindle; fusee ) + -age -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of fuselage¹

C20: from French, from fuseler to shape like a spindle, from Old French fusel spindle; see fusee

Example Sentences

Romeo planned to raise the fuselage and eventually install it in the Smithsonian.

From Los Angeles Times

In January of this year, a dummy door panel in the fuselage of an Alaskan Airline 737 Max blew out in flight, resulting in a grounding of eight months.

From Los Angeles Times

No matter how lofty the concept, regardless of how successfully it launches, the gravitational pull of “giving the people what they want” has a way of loosening the bolts on an otherwise tight fuselage.

From Salon

Scattered across the sand was the wreckage of a massive passenger jet; one wing from the mangled fuselage pointed up toward the sky, all surrounded in a haze of smoke and fire.

From Los Angeles Times

It takes about an hour to build the fuselage and half that time to put the brains inside it – the electronics, motor and explosives.

From BBC

Related Words

• frame
• material
• skeleton