Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

rudder

 - 4 dictionary results

rud⋅der

[ruhd-er]
–noun
1. Nautical. a vertical blade at the stern of a vessel that can be turned horizontally to change the vessel's direction when in motion.
2. Aeronautics. a movable control surface attached to a vertical stabilizer, located at the rear of an airplane and used, along with the ailerons, to turn the airplane.
3. any means of or device for governing, directing, or guiding a course, as a leader or principle: His ideas provided a rudder for the new company.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME rodder, rother, ruder, OE rōther; c. OFris rōther, MD rōder (D roer), OHG ruodar (G Ruder); akin to row 2


ruddered, adjective
rud⋅der⋅less, adjective
rud⋅der⋅like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To rudder
rud·der   (rŭd'ər)   
n.  
    1. A vertically hinged plate of metal, fiberglass, or wood mounted at the stern of a ship or boat for directing its course.

    2. A similar structure at the tail of an aircraft, used for effecting horizontal changes in course.

  1. A controlling agent or influence over direction; a guide.


[Middle English ruder, from Old English rōther, steering oar; see erə- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

rudder 
O.E. roðor "paddle, oar," from P.Gmc. *rothru- (cf. O.Fris. roder, M.L.G. roder, M.Du. roeder, Du. roer, O.H.G. ruodar, Ger. Ruder "oar"), from *ro- "steer" (see row (2)) + suffix -þra, used to form neutral names of tools. Meaning "broad, flat piece of wood attached to the stern of a boat and used for steering" is from c.1303. Spelling with -d- for -th- first recorded 1440.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

rudder

part of the steering apparatus of a boat or ship that is fastened outside the hull, usually at the stern. The most common form consists of a nearly flat, smooth surface of wood or metal hinged at its forward edge to the sternpost. It operates on the principle of unequal water pressures. When the rudder is turned so that one side is more exposed to the force of the water flowing past it than the other side, the stern will be thrust away from the side that the rudder is on and the boat will swerve from its original course. In small craft the rudder is operated manually by a handle termed a tiller or helm. In larger vessels, the rudder is turned by hydraulic, steam, or electrical machinery.

Learn more about rudder with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see rudder on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: