rudder
English · Thesaurus
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rudder
- /ˈɹʌdəː/ UK
- [ˈɹʌdəː] UK
- /ˈɹʌdɚ/ US
- [ˈɹʌ̈dɚ] ~ [ˈɹʌ̈dɹ̩] US
Rhymes with -ʌdə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English rodder, rother, ruder, from Old English rōþor (“oar, rudder”), from Proto-West Germanic *rōþr, from Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (“oar, rudder”).
See also Dutch and West Frisian roer, German Ruder; also akin to Old English rōwan (“to row”). More at rōwan, -þor.
noun rudders
- An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).
- A control surface on the vertical stabilizer of a fixed-wing aircraft or an autogyro. On some craft, the entire vertical stabilizer comprises the rudder. The rudder is controlled by foot-operated control pedals.
- A riddle or sieve.
- That which resembles a rudder as a guide or governor; that which guides or governs the course. For rhyme the rudder is of verses,/With which, like ships, they steer their courses.
- The tail of an otter. He sniffed Tarka’s hair from rudder to neck, and his nose remained at the neck. It was a strange smell, and he sniffed carefully, not wanting to touch the fur with his nostrils.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: ship, helm, amidships, steering, wheel, bar, tiller, start, pedals, steering oar, steering wheel, steering gear, rudder blade, guide, sternpost, fin
Translations
Every language
noun underwater vane used to steer a vessel
| Español | timón, gobernalle |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 키 ki |
| 日本語 | 舵 kaji |
| 中文 | 舵 duò, 船舵 chuánduò |
| हिन्दी | अरित्र aritra, पतवार patvār |
| Kiswahili | usukani |
| Português | leme |
| Français | gouvernail, safran |
| Deutsch | Ruder, Steuer, Steuerruder |
| Italiano | timone, timone orizzontale |
| Ελληνικά | πηδάλιο pidálio |
| Română | cârmă |
| Русский | руль rulʹ, корми́ло kormílo |
| Tiếng Việt | bánh lái |
| العربية | دَفَّة daffa |
noun control surface of an aircraft
| Español | timón, gobernalle |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 방향타 banghyangta |
| 日本語 | 舵 kaji, 方向舵 hōkōda |
| 中文 | 舵 duò, 方向舵 fāngxiàngduò |
| Português | leme |
| Français | gouverne |
| Deutsch | Steuerruder, Ruder |
| Italiano | timone, timone di coda, timone di profondità, timone di direzione |
| Ελληνικά | πηδάλιο pidálio |
| Русский | руль поворо́та rulʹ povoróta, руль направле́ния rulʹ napravlénija |
| العربية | سُكَّان sukkān, دَفَّة daffa |
Talk about this word "rudder." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rudder. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. rudder. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rudder "rudder." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rudder.Cite this
@misc{rudder_2026,
title = {rudder},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rudder},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
