cowling

American

[kou-ling] / ˈkaʊ lɪŋ /

noun

a streamlined metal housing or removable covering for an engine, especially an aircraft engine, often part of or forming a continuous line with the fuselage or wing.

cowling British

/ ˈkaʊlɪŋ /

noun

Also called: cowl. a streamlined metal covering, esp one fitted around an aircraft engine Compare fairing 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cowling

First recorded in 1915–20; cowl + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

cowling

Flight 3695 was headed to Houston but returned to the Denver airport around 8:15 a.m. after the crew reported the engine cowling, or cover, fell off.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2024

Southwest Airlines said its maintenance teams would review the Boeing 737-800 after its cowling, which covers the plane's engine, fell off.

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2024

After finding him, first responders pulled the man out of the engine intake cowling, which directs air flow to the engine fan section, and attempted life-saving measures.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024

“To have a single blade split the cowling like that is concerning,” one expert told the Journal.

From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2018

The drill's cowling was off to make room for the power line.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023