rudder

rudder
—ruddered, adj. —rudderless, adj. —rudderlike, adj.
/rud"euhr/, n.
1. Naut. a vertical blade at the stern of a vessel that can be turned horizontally to change the vessel's direction when in motion.
2. Aeron. 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.
[bef. 900; ME rodder, rother, ruder, OE rother; c. OFris rother, MD roder (D roer), OHG ruodar (G Ruder); akin to ROW2]

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▪ steering mechanism
      part of the steering apparatus of a boat or ship that is fastened outside the hull, usually at the stern. The most common form consists of a nearly flat, smooth surface of wood or metal hinged at its forward edge to the sternpost. It operates on the principle of unequal water pressures. When the rudder is turned so that one side is more exposed to the force of the water flowing past it than the other side, the stern will be thrust away from the side that the rudder is on and the boat will swerve from its original course. In small craft the rudder is operated manually by a handle termed a tiller or helm. In larger vessels, the rudder is turned by hydraulic, steam, or electrical machinery.

      The earliest type of rudder was a paddle or oar used to pry or row the stern of the craft around. The next development was to fasten a steering oar, in a semivertical position, to the vessel's side near the stern. This arrangement was improved by increasing the width of the blade and attaching a tiller to the upper part of the handle. Ancient Greek and Roman vessels frequently used two sets of these steering paddles. Rudders fastened to the vessel's sternpost did not come into general use until after the time of William the Conqueror. In ships having two or more screw propellers, rudders are fitted sometimes directly behind each screw.

 Special types of rudders use various shapes to obtain greater effectiveness in manoeuvring. The balanced rudder and the semibalanced rudder (see illustration—>) are shaped so that the force of the water flowing by the rudder will be balanced or partially balanced on either side of its turning axis, thus easing the pressure on the steering mechanism or the helmsman. The lifting rudder is designed with a curvature along its lower edge that will lift the rudder out of danger should it strike an object or the bottom.
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rudder — Rud der, n. [OE. rother, AS. r[=o][eth]er a paddle; akin to D. roer rudder, oar, G. ruder, OHG. roadar, Sw. roder, ror, Dan. roer, ror. [root] 8. See {Row} to propel with an oar, and cf. {Rother}. ] 1. (Naut.) The mechanical appliance by means of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rudder — ist der Name folgender Personen: David Rudder (* 1953), Komponist und Sänger in den Genres Calypso und Soca James Earl Rudder (1910–1970), US amerikanischer Militär, Politiker und Hochschulpräsident Diese Seite ist eine Begriffskläru …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rudder — Rud der, n. A riddle or sieve. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rudder — O.E. roðor paddle, oar, from P.Gmc. *rothru (Cf. O.Fris. roder, M.L.G. roder, M.Du. roeder, Du. roer, O.H.G. ruodar, Ger. Ruder oar ), from *ro steer (see ROW (Cf. row) (v.)) + suffix …   Etymology dictionary

  • rudder — ► NOUN 1) a flat piece hinged vertically near the stern of a boat for steering. 2) a vertical aerofoil pivoted from the tailplane of an aircraft, for controlling movement about the vertical axis. ORIGIN Old English, «paddle, oar» …   English terms dictionary

  • rudder — [rud′ər] n. [ME rother < OE; akin to Ger ruder: see ROW2] 1. a broad, flat, movable piece of wood or metal hinged vertically at the stern of a boat or ship, used for steering 2. a movable piece attached to the vertical stabilizer of an… …   English World dictionary

  • Rudder — A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, or other conveyance that move through a fluid (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p factor and is not the primary …   Wikipedia

  • rudder — The primary vertical and movable control surface, which is hinged to the fin and primarily controls the yawing movement of the aircraft. The rudder is moved by foot operated pedals (called rudder pedals) in the cockpit. A rudder application… …   Aviation dictionary

  • Rudder — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. James Earl Rudder était un militaire américain lors de la seconde guerre mondiale. Pieter De Rudder, en français Pierre De Rudder, ouvrier agricole, né à… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • rudder — noun a) 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). b) A control surface on the vertical stabilizer of …   Wiktionary

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