airfoil

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noun

A structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air.

Similar
foilwingaerofoilcontrol surfacesurface
OriginEnglish foil ← Middle English aire ← Old French air →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nounairfoil (plural airfoils)

plural airfoils · alternative UK aerofoil

  1. CanadaUSA structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air.

    Synonyms: foil

  2. CanadaUSA wing of an aircraft.

    Synonyms: wing

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air.

Similar
foil

nounA wing of an aircraft.

Similar
wing

More synonyms by meaning

nouna device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight

Similar
aerofoilcontrol surfacesurface
Broader
device
Also see
aeroplanecontrol surfacesurface

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewsér
  3. Proto-Hellenic*auhḗr
  4. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)
  5. Latināēr
  6. Old Frenchair
  7. Middle Englishaire
  8. Englishair
  9. Englishfoil
  10. Englishairfoil

From air + foil.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch vleugelprofiel
  • vleugelprofielstructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Finnish siipiprofiili
  • siipiprofiilistructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
French profil d'aile
  • profil d'ailestructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
German Tragflächenprofil
  • Tragflächenprofilstructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Greek αεροτομή
  • αεροτομή (aerotomí)structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Icelandic vængildi
  • vængildistructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Irish aereiteog
  • aereiteogstructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Italian profilo alare
  • profilo alarestructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Korean 날개골, 에어포일
  • 날개골 (nalgaegol)structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
  • 에어포일 (eeopoil)structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Polish profil lotniczy
  • profil lotniczystructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Portuguese aerofólio
  • aerofóliostructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Russian аэродинамический профиль
  • аэродинамический профиль (aerodinamičeskij profilʹ)structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
Spanish perfil alar, perfil aerodinámico
  • perfil alarstructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
  • perfil aerodinámicostructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air
  • perfilstructure shaped to produce lift when moving in air

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Fraioli
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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