Fuselage
/ˈfjuːzəlɑːʒ/
Definitions
The central body of an airplane or other aircraft, designed to accommodate the crew, passengers, and cargo.
/ˈfjuːzəlɑːʒ/
The main body of an aircraft.
The fuselage of the jet was badly damaged in the crash.
💡 Simply: Imagine a giant tube that holds all the people and stuff inside an airplane! That tube is the fuselage. It's like the airplane's main body.
👶 For kids: The main part of an airplane where the people sit.
More Examples
Engineers conducted tests on the fuselage to assess its structural integrity.
The cargo was loaded into the belly of the fuselage.
How It's Used
"The passengers boarded the aircraft through the fuselage doors."
From French *fuselage*, meaning 'body of an airplane'. The word is derived from *fuseau*, meaning 'spindle', referring to the shape of the aircraft body.
The term 'fuselage' began appearing in aviation-related texts in the early 20th century, corresponding with the development of powered flight.
Memory tip
Think of the "fusing" together of all the airplane's parts; the fuselage is what holds it all together.
Word Origin
"spindle"