Plain English Meaning

The wing is twisted slightly so the tip meets the air at a smaller angle than the root. That way, when the wing starts to stall, it stalls at the middle first while the tips are still flying — so the ailerons keep working and the airplane stays controllable.

Full Definition

A built-in twist in a wing such that the angle of incidence is lower at the wingtip than at the wing root. This design causes the inboard portion of the wing to reach its critical angle of attack and stall before the outboard portion, preserving aileron effectiveness during the onset of a stall.

Context Anchor

Seen in discussions of stall characteristics, , and why an airplane may keep near the of a stall.