rudder
n. countablen. a flat piece of wood or metal at the back of a boat or plane. It is used for steering to the left or right.
n. a flat, hinged plate attached to the stern of a vessel or the rear of an aircraft, used for controlling direction. Often used metaphorically to describe a person or thing that provides guidance or control.
The pilot moved the rudder to turn the plane.
Without a functioning rudder, the ship was at the mercy of the strong ocean currents and began to drift toward the rocks.
The new CEO acted as a rudder for the struggling corporation, providing the steady direction and strategic oversight necessary to navigate the volatile market conditions.
From Middle English rodder, rother, ruder, from Old English rōþor (“oar, rudder”), from Proto-West Germanic rōþr, from Proto-Germanic rōþrą (“oar, rudder”) (compare Dutch and West Frisian roer, German Ruder), from Proto-Germanic rōaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₁reh₁- (“to row”) + Proto-Germanic -þrą, -þraz, instrumental suffix. Akin to Old English rōwan (“to row”). More at rōwan, -þor.
Commonly used in the phrase 'without a rudder' to describe a person or organization lacking direction.