horizontal stabilizer
1
6.7
- noun
- /ˈhɔːrɪzɒntəl ˈsteɪbɪlaɪzər/
- Specialized
:
estabilizador horizontal
- If we can dislodge the balloon from the horizontal stabilizer on the tail, thereby making it possible for your plane to ascend, will you please let us have Schluufy's balloon back?
- wing and horizontal stabilizer
Examples
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To improve aerodynamics, engineers designed a larger horizontal stabilizer for the new model.
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This is the jackscrew on the tail assembly that articulates the horizontal stabilizer, also known as the elevator.
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Look carefully at the B-17 in this painting and note how shot up it is—one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer, and nose shot up.
Blog text (19) -
If the lightning hit the horizontal stabilizer (the small wing on the back of the plane), the vertical stabilizer (the fin on top) would be lit up so bright it would be obvious the lightning was only a few feet away.
Blog text (10) -
Incredibly, airframe damage was pretty minor—a few small creases on the wings, ailerons, and horizontal stabilizer.
Blog text (13) -
The aircraft's horizontal stabilizer plays a crucial role in maintaining stability during flight.
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The pilot checked the horizontal stabilizer before takeoff to ensure it was functioning properly.
Synonyms
15
6.2
A fixed or movable wing surface on an aircraft that keeps it steady in flight
1
8.8
A horizontal surface at the tail of a plane that helps keep it steady and control up and down movement
A flat surface at the tail of a plane that keeps the nose level and controls up-and-down movement
How Stabilizing
- Specialized
1
5.9
- Specialized
1
6.7
- Specialized
15
6.2
- Specialized
13
8.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'horizontal' specifies the orientation and 'stabilizer' specifies the device that provides stability. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can readily infer this denotes a stabilizer that is aligned horizontally (the fixed horizontal surface on an aircraft tail), so the meaning is directly derivable.
Etymology
The term horizontal stabilizer is a simple description: a flat, horizontal, part on the tail whose job, the stabilizer, is to stop the plane's nose moving up and down. It keeps the plane steady in flight, so the name means 'a part that keeps the plane level'.