rud·der [rudderrudders] BrE [ˈrʌdə(r)] NAmE [ˈrʌdər] noun a piece of wood or metal at the back of a boat or an aircraft that is used for controlling its direction
Word Origin: Old English rōther ‘paddle, oar’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch roer, German Ruder, also to the verb ↑row1.