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

In an unpredictable, explosive decompression, when an airplane could lose a section of the fuselage, passengers farthest away from the failure point are the most likely to survive. —Usa Today Staff, USA Today, 14 June 2025

Kim was also seen walking to a large aircraft with four engines and a radar dome mounted on the fuselage. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025

The Eaglet is a high- wing aircraft, meaning the wing is mounted above the fuselage. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025

What sets the aircraft apart is its ability to launch smaller drones mid-flight from both sides of its fuselage. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 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