aileron
Meanings
- The hinged part on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control longitudinal turns.
- A half gable, as at the end of a penthouse or of the aisle of a church.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-? Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs-der. Proto-Italic *aksis Latin axis Latin *axla Latin āla Old French aile Middle French aisle French aile French -er- Proto-Indo-European *-ōder. Proto-Indo-European *-Hōder.? Latin -ō Frankishinflu. Old French -on Middle French -on French -on French -eron French aileronbor. English aileron Borrowed from French aileron, diminutive of aile (“wing”), also refers to the extremities of a bird's wings used to control their flight. It first appeared in print in the 7th edition of Cassell's French-English Dictionary of 1877, with its lead meaning of "small wing". In the context of powered airplanes it appears in print about 1908, in the French aviation journal L'Aérophile.