The word for today is…
canard (noun):
1a: a false or unfounded report or story
especially : a fabricated report
b: a groundless rumor or belief
2: an airplane with horizontal stabilizing and control surfaces in front of supporting surfaces
also : a small airfoil in front of the wing of an aircraft that can increase the aircraft’s performance
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : In 16th-century France, vendre des canards à moitié was a colorful way of saying “to fool” or “to cheat.” The French phrase means, literally, “to half-sell ducks.” No one now knows just what was meant by “to half-sell”; the proverb was probably based on some story widely known at the time, but the details have not survived. At any rate, the expression led to the use of canard, the French word for “duck,” with the meaning of “a hoax” or “a fabrication.” English speakers adopted this canard in the mid-1800s. The aeronautical sense of canard, used from the early days of flying, comes from the stubby duck-like appearance of the aircraft.
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