monocoque
Americannoun
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a type of boat, aircraft, or rocket construction in which the shell carries most of the stresses.
-
Automotive. a type of vehicular construction in which the body is combined with the chassis as a single unit.
adjective
noun
-
a type of aircraft fuselage, car body, etc, in which all or most of the loads are taken by the skin
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a type of racing-car, racing-cycle, or powerboat design with no separate chassis and body
adjective
Etymology
Origin of monocoque
1910–15; < French, equivalent to mono- mono- + coque shell, eggshell (of uncertain origin)
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.
As it is with previous and current Cayennes, the Electric has a steel and aluminum monocoque integrated into the subframe structure that supports the battery and suspension.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
It has a monocoque frame, which means the bodywork is the frame, not separate body panels attached to the frame as with other scooters.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2018
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 H. (Horatio) Barber
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