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Synonyms

fairing

American  
[fair-ing] / ˈfɛər ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a structure on the exterior of an aircraft or boat, for reducing drag.

  2. a structure, as a rigid, transparent, plastic sheet, at the front of a motorcycle, bicycle, etc., for deflecting wind and rain.


fairing 1 British  
/ ˈfɛərɪŋ /

noun

  1. archaic a present, esp from a fair

  2. a sweet circular biscuit made with butter

"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

fairing 2 British  
/ ˈfɛərɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: fillet. an external metal structure fitted around parts of an aircraft, car, vessel, etc, to reduce drag Compare cowling

"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 fairing

First recorded in 1910–15; fair 1 + -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:

The Multistrada lights up the night with dynamic cornering headlamps, integrated into the upper fairing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

SpaceX plans to recover both fairing sections after they return to Earth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

“We expect to fully utilize New Glenn fairing capacity as we progress through our orbital launch plans,” AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan said during an earnings call last month.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 2026

The fairing that secured Clipper at the top of the rocket separated about four and a half minutes into the flight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2024

And to each he gave a fairing biscuit, spiced with cinnamon and ginger.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

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