English Reference

Word

fuselage

Phoneticsfuse·lage

US/ˈfjusəˌɫɑdʒ/

UK/fjˈuːzəlˌɑːʒ/

Definition

n. the main body of an airplane. It is the long, central part where the passengers sit and the cargo is kept.

n. the central body of an aircraft to which the wings, tail, and engines are attached.

Examples

“The fuselage of the plane is painted white.”

“Engineers inspected the fuselage for cracks after the aircraft experienced severe turbulence during the flight.”

“Modern aerospace manufacturing often utilizes carbon-fiber composites for the fuselage to reduce overall weight while maintaining the structural integrity required for high-altitude pressurization.”

Examples

simple

“The fuselage of the plane is painted white.”

contextual

“Engineers inspected the fuselage for cracks after the aircraft experienced severe turbulence during the flight.”

complex

“Modern aerospace manufacturing often utilizes carbon-fiber composites for the fuselage to reduce overall weight while maintaining the structural integrity required for high-altitude pressurization.”

Usage

Typically refers to the structural shell of fixed-wing aircraft.

Real-World Examples

“Fragments from the engine struck the fuselage and penetrated the cabin, shattering the window at row 11.”
Al Jazeera · 14 Aug 2026
“SpaceX uses a different approach on Starship, with Starlinks riding inside the vehicle’s fuselage, then ejecting through a small door on the side like a Pez dispenser.”
Ars Technica · 9 Jul 2026

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin fūsusder. Old French fusel Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Old French -ier Middle French -er French -er French fuseler Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Italic *-kos Latin -cus Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -age Middle French -age French -age French fuselagebor. English fuselage Borrowed from French fuselage. Ultimately from Latin fūsus (“spindle, spinning wheel”). For the meaning development, compare rocket, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rukkô (“spinning wheel, distaff”) (whence also English rock (“distaff, the flax or wool on a distaff”)).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Aviation

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference