Word of the day: fairing

The word of the day is fairing:

1. a structure on the exterior of an aircraft or boat, for reducing drag.
2. a structure, as a rigid, transparent, plastic sheet, at the front of a motorcycle, bicycle, etc., for deflecting wind and rain.

"piece added for streamlining purposes,"1865, from fair (v.) a ship-building wordmeaning "to make fair or level, to correctcurvatures," from fair (adj.). (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fairings)

"The last piece is the spacecraft adapter, which is the ring that attaches Orion to the space launch system, and the protective fairings we jettison upon leaving orbit...  The fairing system has been upgraded and there’s been a new test on that already."

 - Nujoud Merancy, "First Person: Nujoud Merancy", November-December 2015 American Scientist (http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/orions-path-to-liftoff)