monocoque

English

Etymology

First attested in 1914: from the French monocoque.

Noun

monocoque (plural monocoques)

1. A structure design in which the frame and body are built as a single integrated structure.
   • 1964 April, G. Freeman Allen, “The BRB shows traders the Liner train prototypes”, in Modern Railways, page 262:

     The body is a one-piece monocoque structure of glass reinforced plastic, with 5in-thick walls, on a steel base tray; [...].

Derived terms

• semi-monocoque

Translations

structure design

• Dutch: zelfdragende carrosserie n, monocoque m or f
• Finnish: itsekantava rakenne, monokokki (fi)
• French: monocoque (fr) m or f
• German: Monocoque n
• Italian: monoscocca f, monoguscio (it) m
• Spanish: monocasco m

See also

• chassis
• unibody

French

Etymology

First attested in 1911: formed as mono- (“one”) +‎ coque (“shell, hull”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔ.nɔ.kɔk/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

monocoque m (plural monocoques)

1. monocoque
   • 1911: La Vie Aérienne, issues 1–21, page 6 (Émile Mousset, Directeur)

     Très original et d’une robustesse extraordinaire, le chassis d’atterrissage du monocoque se compose de deux espèces de cadres placés un de chaque côté du fuselage.

     Very original and extraordinarily robust, the landing chassis of the monocoque is made up of two frames, one on each side of the fuselage.

2. monohull

Related terms

• polycoque

Further reading

• “monocoque”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.