Fairing (noun)

A smooth surface applied to an object to streamline it and reduce drag.

Origin:

Mid 16th century (as a noun denoting a caulk or coating applied to a ship's bottom to make it smoother): from fair + -ing1.

Examples:

1. The airplane had a long, slender fairing around its fuselage.
2. The design of the fairing was such that it minimized the wind resistance.
3. The racing boat was fitted with a special fairing to increase its speed.
4. The wind tunnel tests showed that the fairing improved the aerodynamics of the vehicle.
5. The engineers designed a fairing to cover the unsightly join between the body and the tail of the aircraft.