fuselage

noun

fu·​se·​lage ˈfyü-sə-ˌläzh How to pronounce fuselage (audio)
-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 Kim visited various facilities, including a fighter jet fuselage assembly shop and wing production shop. Amarachi Orie, CNN, 17 Sep. 2023 The two drones recovered in Ukraine and Iraq looked identical, with the same triangular design, wingspan, fiberglass fuselage and rudimentary propeller motor at the rear. Dan De Luce, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023 Some pieces of the plane have been recovered, but not the fuselage – the main body of the plane, USA TODAY previously reported. USA TODAY, 3 May 2023 The delays are due to unapproved fittings that a contractor, Spirit AeroSystems, installed where the tail meets the fuselage on most 737 Max jets built since 2019. David Koenig, ajc, 26 Apr. 2023 This is over three times the dependence of Boeing’s competitors such as Airbus, which makes its own fuselages. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2023 However, on Wednesday, new satellite photos analyzed by RFE's Schemes investigation team showed damage to the upper fuselage near the wings of two Il-76s at Pskov. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 31 Aug. 2023 The kit consists of 2,083 pieces and faithfully captures the jet’s iconic shape, including its long and skinny fuselage and curved delta wing. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2023 An airliner-style nose/cockpit protrudes from the front while two turbofan engine pods are slung atop the rear fuselage, resulting in a look reminiscent of the Quinn jet from the Avengers movies. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fuselage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fuselage was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near fuselage

Cite this Entry

“Fuselage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuselage. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

fuselage

noun
fu·​se·​lage ˈfyü-sə-ˌläzh How to pronounce fuselage (audio)
ˈfyü-zə-
: the central body portion of an airplane that holds the crew, passengers, and cargo

More from Merriam-Webster on fuselage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!