monocoque

American  

[mon-uh-kohk, -kok] / ˈmɒn əˌkoʊk, -ˌkɒk /

noun

1. a type of boat, aircraft, or rocket construction in which the shell carries most of the stresses.

2. Automotive. a type of vehicular construction in which the body is combined with the chassis as a single unit.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or being a monocoque.

monocoque British  

/ ˈmɒnəˌkɒk /

noun

1. a type of aircraft fuselage, car body, etc, in which all or most of the loads are taken by the skin

2. a type of racing-car, racing-cycle, or powerboat design with no separate chassis and body

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adjective

1. of or relating to the design characteristic of a monocoque

Etymology

Origin of monocoque

1910–15; < French, equivalent to mono- mono- + coque shell, eggshell (of uncertain origin)

Example Sentences

The idea is to prevent the plank from bending upwards into a gap that had been deliberately left by some teams between the plank and underside of the monocoque for that purpose.

From BBC • Aug. 23, 2022

The body had to be shaped to provide the necessary downforce and cooling, while conforming to the requirements of the series and the underlying form of the monocoque chassis.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2020

The trailer’s lightweight rigidity is owed to the more than 5,000 hand-bucked rivets holding the load-bearing skin, the monocoque, to the tubular subframe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 16, 2015

The young British driver climbed unhurt from motor racing's first ever carbon fibre monocoque cabin.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2011

Behind them the fuselage was a "monocoque" of three-ply wood bolted onto the armour.

From The Aeroplane Speaks Fifth Edition by Barber, H. (Horatio)