sweptback

American

[swept-bak] / ˈswɛptˈbæk /

adjective

Aeronautics.

(of the leading edge of an airfoil) forming a markedly obtuse angle with the fuselage.
(of an aircraft or winged missile) having wings of this type.

sweptback British

/ ˈswɛptˌbæk /

adjective

(of an aircraft wing) having leading edge and trailing edges inclined backwards towards the rear of the fuselage

"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

Etymology

Origin of sweptback

First recorded in 1915–20; adj. use of verb phrase swept back

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023