fuselage

noun

fu·​se·​lage ˈfyü-sə-ˌläzh 

-zə-

: the central body portion of an aircraft designed to accommodate the crew and the passengers or cargo see airplane illustration

Examples of fuselage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Waste to wonder Wind turbine blades, aircraft fuselages (like the Boeing 787 or Airbus A350), and automotive frames generate thousands of tonnes of thermoset composite waste yearly that currently end up in landfills or high-emissions incinerators. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026

Dragonfly Is Ahead Of Schedule Engineers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland recently delivered Dragonfly’s nearly 13-foot-long fuselage ahead of schedule after completing a month of structural testing. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Some of them were informal advisers during development of the exhibitions, including an airplane fuselage where visitors can role-play as pilots and passengers, take a flight, and learn that, as O’Hare expanded so, too, did Rosemont. — Christopher Placek, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

In 2019, inspections were ordered for some Boeing 737-700, 737-800, and 737-900 after some planes were found to have cracks in the component connecting the plane’s fuselage to the wings. — Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from fuselé "spindle-shaped" (from past participle of fuseler "to give the shape of a spindle to," going back to Middle French, derivative of fusel "spindle," diminutive of fus "spindle," going back to Latin fūsus, of obscure origin) + -age -age

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fuselage

• auge
• hodge
• podge
• dislodge
• hodgepodge

Kids Definition

fuselage

noun

fu·​se·​lage ˈfyü-sə-ˌläzh 

ˈfyü-zə-

: the central body portion of an airplane that holds the crew, passengers, and cargo