rudder
Americannoun
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Nautical. a vertical blade at the stern of a vessel that can be turned horizontally to change the vessel's direction when in motion.
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Aeronautics. a movable control surface attached to a vertical stabilizer, located at the rear of an airplane and used, along with the ailerons, to turn the airplane.
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any means of or device for governing, directing, or guiding a course, as a leader or principle.
His ideas provided a rudder for the new company.
noun
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nautical a pivoted vertical vane that projects into the water at the stern of a vessel and can be controlled by a tiller, wheel, or other apparatus to steer the vessel
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a vertical control surface attached to the rear of the fin used to steer an aircraft, in conjunction with the ailerons
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anything that guides or directs
Other Word Forms
- ruddered adjective
- rudderless adjective
- rudderlike adjective
- unruddered adjective
Etymology
Origin of rudder
First recorded before 900; Middle English rodder, rother, ruder, Old English rōther; cognate with Old Frisian rōther, Middle Dutch rōder ( Dutch roer ), Old High German ruodar ( German Ruder ); akin to row 2
Explanation
A rudder is an important part of a ship, boat, or airplane's steering system. If your rudder is out of whack, you may end up somewhere that you don't want to be! A ship's rudder is a flat sheet attached to the stern (or back), that moves back and forth as the captain steers. It works by directing the water to move past the ship in a certain way, pushing the front of the vessel to the right or left. On an airplane, the rudder works the same way, but by directing the flow of air instead, so the plane turns to the left or right. The word rudder comes from the Old English roðor, "paddle or oar," from a Germanic root meaning "tool for steering."
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.
A nation without stories is a boat without a rudder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
As you observe their big goofy head navigate toward the stick you threw in the river, you’ll notice their otter tail serving as their rudder as they swim back to you.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025
The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship was to depart from Northern Ireland last May, but issues with its rudder stocks meant its guests were marooned in the city for more than four months.
From BBC • May 11, 2025
A post-flight inspection revealed damage to the standby power control unit, which is a backup system to control the plane’s rudder, it said.
From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2024
Bobby Moch eased the rudder back parallel with the hull of the boat and the Clipper finally began to run free.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
