rudder

American  

[ruhd-er] / ˈrʌd ər /

noun

1. Nautical. a vertical blade at the stern of a vessel that can be turned horizontally to change the vessel's direction when in motion.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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rudder British  

/ ˈrʌdə /

noun

1. 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

2. a vertical control surface attached to the rear of the fin used to steer an aircraft, in conjunction with the ailerons

3. anything that guides or directs

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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

A nation without stories is a boat without a rudder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey in London, Motin said he was told by somebody in the shipping company that a similar vessel experienced a "sudden rudder blockage".

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

I’ve got rudder pedals on the floor and all these controls.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 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

He made a rudder like the first, put it through a hole in the stern as he had planned, and surveyed the completed boat.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

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