aileron

Meaning

1. The hinged part on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control longitudinal turns.
2. A half gable, as at the end of a penthouse or of the aisle of a church.

Synonyms

stabilizer

scale

spoiler

squama

lobulus

squamula

squamule

half gable

alula

squame

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈeɪləɹɒn/

Etymology

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.