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 plane is in pieces, the main two chunks being the cockpit and the fuselage, both of which have been reduced to floating canisters with wires popping out of the sides. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026

This included enlarging cabin windows into observation viewports and carving open portals into the belly of the fuselage, allowing high-tech sensors and remote-sensing instruments a clear line of sight to the world below. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026

Further increases of Max production requires Federal Aviation Administration approval, a requirement after a near-catastrophic blowout of a fuselage door plug in January 2024. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

Another stealth feature is the dorsal air inlets on the upper surface of the fuselage. —David Szondy april 21, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 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