stabilizer

American  

[stey-buh-lahy-zer] / ˈsteɪ bəˌlaɪ zər /

noun

1. a person or thing that stabilizes.

2. Aeronautics. a device for stabilizing an aircraft, as the fixed, horizontal tail surface on an airplane.

3. Nautical.

   1. a mechanical device for counteracting the roll of a vessel, consisting of a pair of retractable fins so pivoted as to oppose a downward force with an upward one, and vice versa.

   2. a gyrostabilizer.

4. any of various substances added to foods, chemical compounds, etc., to prevent deterioration, the breaking down of an emulsion, or the loss of desirable properties.

5. any compound that, when included with an explosive, decreases the ability of the latter to decompose spontaneously.

6. a substance, as beeswax or aluminum stearate, added to a fast-drying oil paint to improve the dispersion of pigment.

7. a comparatively large shock absorber for motor vehicles.

8. Military.

   1. any of various devices or systems that keep a gun mounted on a moving ship, tank, or plane automatically aimed at its target.

   2. any of various mechanical devices, such as fins, or electronic systems that keep a shell, bomb, rocket, etc., aligned with its target.

9. Navy. any of various devices or systems used to keep a submarine or a torpedo at the proper depth or in the proper position.

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stabilizer British  

/ ˈsteɪbɪˌlaɪzə /

noun

1. any device for stabilizing an aircraft See also horizontal stabilizer vertical stabilizer

2. a substance added to something to maintain it in a stable or unchanging state, such as an additive to food to preserve its texture during distribution and storage

3. nautical

   1. a system of one or more pairs of fins projecting from the hull of a ship and controllable to counteract roll

   2. See gyrostabilizer

4. either of a pair of brackets supporting a small wheel that can be fitted to the back wheel of a bicycle to help an inexperienced cyclist to maintain balance

5. an electronic device for producing a direct current supply of constant voltage

6. economics a measure, such as progressive taxation, interest-rate control, or unemployment benefit, used to restrict swings in prices, employment, production, etc, in a free economy

7. a person or thing that stabilizes

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Etymology

Origin of stabilizer

First recorded in 1905–10; stabilize + -er ¹

Example Sentences

It was the world’s first reusable spacecraft, employing a plane-like design that included wings and a vertical stabilizer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

One version of valproate, marketed as Divalproex, is the second most common mood stabilizer used after diagnosis in the U.S.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2024

He says he searched for a year, on beaches from Myanmar to the Maldives, before finding his first piece, from the rear stabilizer of the plane, on a sandbar in Mozambique.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2024

Environmental Protection Agency applied a soil stabilizer to prevent ash and dust from dispersing.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024

“Oh, yeah. We should reach the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Then spend the rest of that day sailing to Rome, or flying, if I can get the stabilizer fixed by then....”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

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