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
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.
Until then, he exhorted his students to control their own destinies, likening AI personalization to the rudder on a sailboat.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
I’ve got rudder pedals on the floor and all these controls.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025
Mangione’s Twitter/X account is a kaleidoscopic fever dream with no clear ideological rudder.
From Salon • Dec. 17, 2024
The group found damage to its hull, propeller and rudder, but the Ruby was still deemed “seaworthy”.
From BBC • Sep. 26, 2024
Stuck in the climb and also lacking some rudder control.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
