The word nacelle is derived from the Old French nacele, which means a small boat or dinghy, which was in turn derived from the Latin navicella. The term is commonly used in aviation, nautical and spacecraft design, to refer to a covered housing (separate from the fuselage) that holds engines, fuel, or equipment. In some cases—most notably the World War II-era P-38 Lightning airplane—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle. The covering is typically aerodynamically shaped.
- In ballooning, including that of airships, the nacelle is a suspended basket that contains machinery and passengers. This is the original French use of the term. In English, gondola has replaced its use.
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