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empennage

[ ahm-puh-nahzh, em-; French ahn-pe-nazh ]
/ ˌɑm pəˈnɑʒ, ˌɛm-; French ɑ̃ pɛˈnaʒ /
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noun, plural em·pen·nag·es [ahm-puh-nah-zhiz, em-; French ahn-pe-nazh]. /ˌɑm pəˈnɑ ʒɪz, ˌɛm-; French ɑ̃ pɛˈnaʒ/.
the rear part of an airplane or airship, usually comprising the stabilizer, elevator, vertical fin, and rudder.
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Origin of empennage

1905–10; <French: literally, feathering, equivalent to empenn(er) to feather an arrow (em-em-1 + -penner, derivative of penne feather; see pen1) + -age-age
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How to use empennage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for empennage

empennage
/ (ɛmˈpɛnɪdʒ, French ɑ̃pɛnaʒ) /

noun
the rear part of an aircraft, comprising the fin, rudder, and tailplane

Word Origin for empennage

C20: from French: feathering, from empenner to feather an arrow, from penne feather, from Latin pinna
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
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