aileron

A1I1L1E1R1O1N1
UK/ˈeɪləɹɒn/US/ˈeɪləɹɑn/

noun

The hinged part on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control longitudinal turns.

OriginFrench aileron ← Middle French aisle ← Old French aile →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

nounaileron (plural ailerons)

plural ailerons

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

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
wingflap

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱs-
  3. Proto-Italic*aksis
  4. Latinaxis
  5. Latin*axla
  6. Latināla
  7. Old Frenchaile
  8. Middle Frenchaisle
  9. Frenchaile
  10. Frenchaileron
  11. Englishaileron

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.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan aleró
  • aleróhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Chinese Mandarin 副翼, 補助翼 /补助翼
  • 副翼 (fùyì)hinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
  • 補助翼 /补助翼 (bǔzhùyì)hinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Czech křidélko
  • křidélkohinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Dutch rolroer, aileron
  • rolroerhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
  • aileronhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Esperanto alerono
  • aleronohinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Finnish siiveke, ohjaussiiveke
  • siivekehinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
  • ohjaussiivekehinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
French aileron
  • aileronhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
German Querruder
  • Querruderhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Greek πηδάλιο κλίσης
  • πηδάλιο κλίσης (pidálio klísis)hinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Irish ailearán
  • ailearánhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Italian alettone, alerone
  • alettonehinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
  • aleronehinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Japanese 補助翼
  • 補助翼 (hojoyoku)hinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Norwegian balanseror
  • balanserorhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Polish lotka
  • lotkahinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Portuguese ailerão
  • ailerãohinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Romanian eleron
  • eleronhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Russian элеро́н
  • элеро́н (elerón)hinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Spanish alerón
  • alerónhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing
Swedish skevroder
  • skevroderhinged part on trailing edge of airplane wing

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

alienoralerion
Cite this entry
APA

aileron. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aileron

MLA

“aileron.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aileron. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aileron,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aileron.

Source: aileron on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.