Definition
A built-in design feature in which a wing's angle of incidence decreases gradually from the wing root to the wingtip, so that the tip section meets the oncoming air at a lower angle than the root section. This causes the wing root to reach its critical angle of attack and stall before the wingtip, allowing the ailerons (located near the tips) to remain effective during the early stages of a stall. Also called washout.
Plain English
The wing is built with a slight twist along its length so the tip is angled slightly lower into the wind than the root. That way, when the airplane is close to stalling, the inner part of the wing stalls first while the outer part — where the ailerons are — is still flying, so the pilot keeps roll control.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft design, stall behavior, and discussions of why one part of the wing may lose smooth airflow before another part.
Derivation
The wing is literally twisted along its span during manufacture — the tip is set at a smaller angle than the root. The term is descriptive: the wing has a built-in twist from one end to the other.
Why Pilots Care
It gives the pilot continued roll control during the early stages of a stall and reduces the chance of an abrupt wing drop.
Intuition Check
Wing twist does not usually mean the wing is damaged or bent. Here it means an intentional design shape built into the wing.
Example Sentence 1
Wing twist helps ensure the wing root stalls before the wingtip, preserving aileron control during the stall.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance records noted that a previous repair had slightly altered the wing twist, requiring a re-rig check before the next flight.