Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word aileron. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word aileron, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say aileron in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word aileron you have here. The definition of the word aileron will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofaileron, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Drawing of an airplane wing showing the aileron.An aircraft 'rolling', or 'banking', with its ailerons
Etymology
Borrowed from Frenchaileron, 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.