Etymology

fuselage

F4U1S1E1L1A1G2E1

Today it means: The main body of an aerospace vehicle; the long central structure of an aircraft to which the wings (or rotors), tail, and engines are attached, and which accommodates crew and cargo. Full definition →

First used 1909French fuselage ← Old French fusel ← Latin fūsus
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The story

  1. Latinfūsus
  2. Old Frenchfusel
  3. Frenchfuseler
  4. Frenchfuselage
  5. English todayfuselage

Borrowed from French fuselage. Ultimately from Latin fūsus (“spindle, spinning wheel”). For the meaning development, compare rocket, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rukkô (“spinning wheel, distaff”) (whence also English rock (“distaff, the flax or wool on a distaff”)).

Words from the same roots

Latinfūsus all →

fusefusariumfusiformfuseefusilfusidicfusoid

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1909 The main body of an aerospace vehicle; the long central structure of an aircraft to which the wings (or rotors), tail, and engines are attached, and which accommodates crew and cargo.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.