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
Examples of rudder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While, the steering system is triply redundant, Collette notes, each of the backups is dependent on electricity to run pumps that then pressurize the hydraulics and activate the ship's massive rudder.
—
Jackie Northam, NPR, 27 Mar. 2024
Sumwalt also said the ship's audio recording device likely captured conversations happening on the ship as well as other data like the angle of the rudder.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2024
This will act as a rudder in the air, keeping the lure from spinning.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
Pedals in the cockpit control the rudder, which is attached to the vertical part of the tail and can be used to point the nose of the plane left or right.
—David Koenig, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024
The Mechanicals Heavy duty engines and generators paired with two independent rudders for redundancy and maneuverability make the NL45 easy to manage.
—Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
The Max has been plagued by other issues, including manufacturing flaws, concern about overheating that led FAA to tell pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system, and a possible loose bolt in the rudder system.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2024
On their tenth day at sea, the four Nigerian stowaways crossing the Atlantic in a tiny space above the rudder of a cargo ship ran out of food and drink.
—Reuters, NBC News, 2 Aug. 2023
The shuttle’s nose was raised 200 feet into the night sky so that the rudder could clear 80 feet of space.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
Jackie Northam, NPR, 27 Mar. 2024
Sumwalt also said the ship's audio recording device likely captured conversations happening on the ship as well as other data like the angle of the rudder.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2024
This will act as a rudder in the air, keeping the lure from spinning.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
Pedals in the cockpit control the rudder, which is attached to the vertical part of the tail and can be used to point the nose of the plane left or right.
—David Koenig, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024
The Mechanicals Heavy duty engines and generators paired with two independent rudders for redundancy and maneuverability make the NL45 easy to manage.
—Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
The Max has been plagued by other issues, including manufacturing flaws, concern about overheating that led FAA to tell pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system, and a possible loose bolt in the rudder system.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2024
On their tenth day at sea, the four Nigerian stowaways crossing the Atlantic in a tiny space above the rudder of a cargo ship ran out of food and drink.
—Reuters, NBC News, 2 Aug. 2023
The shuttle’s nose was raised 200 feet into the night sky so that the rudder could clear 80 feet of space.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rudder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rudder
Cite this Entry
“Rudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudder. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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