Meaning & use

rudder

noun·Academic

A flat, hinged piece at the back of a boat, ship, or aircraft used for steering.

See it in a sentence

The captain turned the rudder sharply to avoid the rocks ahead.

A damaged rudder left the small plane difficult to steer during landing.

A note on using this word

Rudder is also used figuratively to describe something that guides or directs a course of action, as in 'a moral rudder.'

Words with a similar meaning

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