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nacelle

nacelle

35 9.9
A smooth cover that holds an airplane engine and helps air move around it
  • noun
  • /nəˈsɛl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nacela
  • The servos whined shrilly as the outboard nacelles tilted to their new positions, and the jumper shuddered under the new drag.
  • engine nacelle
  • wing nacelle

Examples

  • Its main fuselage was a long cylindrical shape with what looked like giant engine nacelles slung beneath.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan jet engine, seen here with its nacelle opened, promises fuel savings of as much as 16 percent.

    Academic text (2010)
  • I need a welding team on the number one nacelle.

  • I will target your life support systems located behind the aft nacelle.

  • Thus, the work of designing and testing the nacelle for the engine was critical to realizing the potential advantages of the high bypass turbofan.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In designing the high bypass turbofan, GE made the nacelle that housed the engine part of the engine design.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Workers then mounted the tower, nacelle, and turbine on top of the hull using complex installation cranes in a floating-to-floating pick operation.

    Academic text (2010)
  • NASA researchers added acoustic liners to engine nacelle inlets to absorb noise from the combustor and turbine engine stages.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The HondaJet is powered by two 2,000-pound thrust GE Honda H120 engines, each mounted in nacelles above the wing.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The mechanic inspected the nacelle to ensure the engine was properly secured.

Synonyms

cowl
vsnacelle
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A metal cover over a plane or car engine

is a streamlined housing attached to wing or fuselage rather than a protective cover
cowling
vsnacelle
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A removable metal cover that protects an engine and helps a plane move through the air

is a fixed structural housing attached to wing or fuselage not a removable cover

Surface Forms

nacelle singular
nacelles plural

Etymology

Nacelle comes from an old French word nacelle and the Latin root navis, which means 'ship' or 'small boat' and is the same root as navy. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine a little boat attached to the airplane: a nacelle is a boat-like cover fixed to the wing or body that holds the engine, so the origin explains its shape and purpose.