rudder

noun

rud·​der ˈrə-dər 

1

: an underwater blade that is positioned at the stern of a boat or ship and controlled by its helm and that when turned causes the vessel's head to turn in the same direction

2

: a movable auxiliary airfoil on an airplane usually attached at the rear end that serves to control direction of flight in the horizontal plane see airplane illustration

3

: a guiding force or strategy

rudderless

ˈrə-dər-ləs 

adjective

Examples of rudder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Saturday, the makeshift vessel of wooden planks on pontoons with a wooden rudder, beached in the choppy surf off the Martin County island, prompting the sheriff’s office to issue a statement on social media. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025

The Finnish researcher argues the ship's loss stemmed from deeper engineering flaws, not just damage to its rudder. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025

Shackleton blamed the sinking of the Endurance on the destruction of its rudder; for more than a century, historians accepted this explanation. —Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025

After ramming it a few times, a piece of the rudder broke off, and that was even more fun because there was something to play with. —Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rother, from Old English rōther paddle; akin to Old English rōwan to row

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rudder

• scudder
• shudder
• udder

Kids Definition

rudder

noun

rud·​der ˈrəd-ər 

: a flat movable piece (as of wood or metal) attached to the rear of a ship or aircraft for steering