control surface

noun

: a movable airfoil designed to change the attitude of an aircraft

Examples of control surface in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Moreover, fly-by-wire systems adjust control surfaces in real time. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026 This process used to require a $1,000 hardware control surface and a professional digital audio workstation program. Jamie Lendino, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026 All four corners of the airplane and flight control surfaces have been identified in the wreckage and the debris field. Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025 These can be caused by the flow of water over the hull and control surfaces, the propulsion system, machinery inside the craft, and even the flow of water through pipes. New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for control surface

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of control surface was in 1910

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Cite this Entry

“Control surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/control%20surface. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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