Airfoils

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Aerofoil-shaped structures designed to generate lift by transforming airflow around them
2. These components are integral to the performance of wings and blades in aircraft and turbines
3. Objects shaped to manipulate airflow for increased lift and control in various aerodynamic applications

Etymology: "Airfoils" is the plural of "airfoil," a compound formed from "air" and "foil." The "air" element comes down from Latin "āēr," borrowed from Greek "āḗr," and reached English through Old French and Middle English. "Foil" is the older and more familiar partner here: it descends from the sense of a thin, flat sheet of metal, the kind used to wrap food or back a mirror, and the idea of a thin leaf-like layer carries over into the wing shape. The combined term describes a surface, such as a wing, a propeller blade, or a fin, shaped so that moving through air produces lift or control force. The plural simply names several such surfaces on a single aircraft or in a design.

Synonyms: wings, sails, fins, blades, surfaces