wheelhouse

Alternative forms

• wheel house
• wheel-house

Etymology

wheel +‎ house

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈʍiːlˌhaʊs/

Noun

wheelhouse (plural wheelhouses)

1. (nautical) An enclosed compartment, on the deck of a vessel such as a fishing boat, from which it may be navigated; on a larger vessel it is the bridge or pilothouse.

   Synonyms: bridge, pilothouse

2. (automotive) The partially enclosed structure above and around a wheel of an automobile, typically partly formed by a portion of a fender panel that has been extended outward beyond the plane of the rest of the panel.

   Synonym: wheel arch

3. (nautical) The enclosed structure around side paddlewheels on a steamboat.

   Synonym: paddle box

4. (archaeology) A prehistoric structure from the Iron Age, found in Scotland, characteristically including an outer wall within which a circle of stone piers (bearing a resemblance to the spokes of a wheel) form the basis for lintel arches supporting corbelled roofing with a hearth at the hub.
5. (baseball, US) A pitch location which is favorable to the hitter.

   The pitch was right in his wheelhouse, and he hit a grand slam.

6. (slang, US) A person's expertise or area of authority.

   Horse viruses are in Pat's wheelhouse.

   Employee bonuses are completely in Sam's wheelhouse.

   • March 26, 2018, A. A. Dowd, AV Club Steven Spielberg finds fun, and maybe even a soul, in the pandering pastiche of Ready Player One

     What the film rarely does is challenge or interrogate the fan culture to which it plays uncritical tribute. Wade and his friends, including a trigger-happy cyborgian alpha nerd whose offline identity the film handles more tastefully than the book did, are possessive gatekeepers, viciously protective of their pop-culture wheelhouse.