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

The landing gear must be positioned correctly in order to fit back into the airplane’s fuselage, said John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board. —Mika Gröndahl, New York Times, 28 June 2025

Max lost a fuselage piece mid-flight, prompting an NTSB investigation. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 26 June 2025

The emergency power system is defined as a ram air turbine (RAT), according to the report, and described as a small propeller that drops from the plane’s fuselage and acts as a backup generator. —David Chiu, People.com, 18 June 2025

Charred bodies lay on the ground and parts of the fuselage were scattered around the site. —Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025

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