rudder

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A flat piece of wood or metal at the back of a boat or aircraft that is turned to change its direction.

   Grammar: Countable: the rudder of the ship.

   Patterns

   • the rudder of something

   The sailor turned the rudder slightly to the left.

   The plane's rudder was damaged in the storm.

   The little boat's rudder snapped on a rock.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   Something that guides a person or organization and keeps them on a steady course.

   Grammar: Figurative use: a moral rudder.

   Patterns

   • a rudder for someone

   Her strong values acted as a rudder in difficult times.

   Without a clear plan, the company lost its rudder.

   A good mentor can be a rudder for a young writer.

Word forms

Common combinations

turn the rudder

The pilot turned the rudder to correct the drift.

the ship's rudder

The ship's rudder was repaired in port.

rudder pedals

The rudder pedals are controlled with the feet.

without a rudder

After the founder left, the firm was without a rudder.

a steady rudder

Routine can be a steady rudder in busy weeks.

Synonyms and how they differ

helm

Helm is the wheel or tiller you steer with, while the rudder is the part in the water that actually turns.

tiller

A tiller is the lever that moves a rudder on small boats, not the rudder itself.

guide

Guide is a person or thing that leads, but without the idea of steering a course that rudder has.

Word family

rudderless adjective

lacking direction or a steering part

steer verb

to guide the direction of something

helm noun

the controls used to steer a ship

Commonly confused: rudder or rudder vs rutter?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rudder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words