🦅 A lifting plate 🚤 A fast boat

hydrofoil

1 7.6

A flat or curved wing under a boat that lifts it when it moves so the boat can go faster

noun
/ˈhaɪdroʊfɔɪl/

Specialized

: hidroala

In the distance, dull gray cargo and tank landing ships, mine sweepers, frigates, and hydrofoils intimidated the cold horizon.

Examples

The design of the hydrofoil helps reduce drag, making it faster compared to traditional boats.
Have a look, hydrofoils... right, there.

A Perfect Getaway (2009)
Lowering hydrofoils now, m'lady.

Thunderbirds Are GO (1966)
Karnazes nods distractedly and says, "Look, here's another device I recently came across that I think would let me do it faster," and pulls out a magazine photograph of a small person-powered hydrofoil that shoots forward when its rider jumps up and down on one end.

Blog text (5)
The hydrofoil lifted out of the water, allowing the boat to move at incredible speeds.
Many modern watercraft use a hydrofoil to enhance their speed and efficiency on the water.

Synonyms

foil

vshydrofoil

Specialized

2 8.4

A curved surface on a boat or plane that helps it lift and steer

is the form that specifically lifts boats to reduce drag and increase speed

How Fast

hydroplane

Specialized

1 8.2

hydrofoil

Specialized

1 7.6

speedboat

27 2.4

rowboat

21 1.0

Surface Forms

hydrofoil singular

hydrofoils plural

Morphology

hydrofoil = foil (semi-transparent) = hydro + foil

The word is built from hydro- 'water' plus foil, but the specialized engineering sense of a lifting underwater plate is only partly predictable from the base words.

Etymology

Hydrofoil comes from hydro- 'water' and foil 'thin plate' or 'leaf'. A hydrofoil plate is like a small wing in the water that lifts the boat's body as it moves, helping it glide more easily.