parasite drag

noun Aeronautics.

the component of drag caused by skin friction and the shape of the surfaces not contributing to lift.

Origin of parasite drag

First recorded in 1925–30

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for parasite drag

parasite drag

noun

the part of the drag on an aircraft that is contributed by nonlifting surfaces, such as fuselage, nacelles, etcAlso called: parasite resistance

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