plane¹ Definition
plane (plān)
noun
any of a genus (Platanus) of trees of the plane-tree family having maplelike leaves, spherical dry fruits, and bark that sheds in large patches; sycamore
Etymology: ME < MFr plasne < L platanus < Gr platanos < platys, broad (see platy-): from its broad leaves
plane² Definition
plane (plān)
adjective
- flat; level; even
- Math.
- lying on a surface that is a plane
- of such surfaces
Etymology: L planus: see plain
noun
- a surface that wholly contains every straight line joining any two points lying in it
- a flat, level, or even surface
- a level of development, achievement, existence, etc.
- airplane
- any airfoil; esp., a wing of an airplane
Etymology: L planum
plane³ Definition
plane (plān)
noun
a carpenter's tool for shaving a wood surface in order to make it smooth, level, etc.
Etymology: OFr plaine < LL plana < planare, to plane, make level < L planus: see plain
transitive verb planed, plan′·ing
- to make smooth or level with or as with a plane
- to remove with or as with a plane: with off or away
intransitive verb
- to work with a plane
- to do the work of a plane
plane4 Definition
plane (plān)
intransitive verb planed, plan′·ing
- to soar or glide
- to rise partly out of the water while in motion at high speed, as a hydroplane (sense ) does
- to travel by airplane
Etymology: Fr planer < OFr plan, level surface (term used in falconry, in reference to position of bird's wings while soaring) < LL planare, to make level: see plane
plane Synonyms
plane Synonyms
plane
n.
A plane surface
level, extension, horizontal, flat, sphere, face, stratum, dead level*. A tool for smoothing wood
Types of planes include: jack, smoothing, jointing, block, circular, reed, rabbet, grooving, routing, toothing, thumb, match, dovetail, sash, beading, scraper, dado, bullnose, trying, chamfer; electric planer, jointer, foreplane;
An airplane
aircraft, airliner, aeroplane, airship, heavier-than-air craft, avion (French), jet, bird*, ship*, boat*, crate*, heap*, hack*, taxi*, bus*. * Kinds of planes include: propeller, turboprop, propjet, jet, turbojet, jumbojet, rocket, scout, observation, reconnaissance, transport, supersonic transport, SST, pursuit, passenger, commuter; biplane, triplane, monoplane, dirigible, blimp, racer, glider, bomber, clipper, seaplane, hydroplane, fighter, fighter-bomber, interceptor, turbojet, stratojet, gyroplane, amphibian, zeppelin, sailplane, ultralight, hang glider.
Commonly recognized makes and models of airplanes include --- United States: commercial: Boeing 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 777; McDonnell Douglas DC-8, DC-9, DC-10, MD-11, MD-80; Lockheed L-1001; Gulfstream; Cessna; Learjet; Beechcraft; Piper; military: E-3 Sentry, AWACS, F-4G Wild Weasel, F-5, F-5E Tiger, F-20 Tigershark, YF-17 Cobra, B-2 Bomber; T-34; C-135, B-52; Stratofortress; V-22 Osprey; 15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, F-4 Phantom, YF-23; E-2 Hawkeye, F-14 Tomcat; F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-111 Aardvark; F-22, C-5B Galaxy, F-104 Starfighter, F-117A Stealth Fighter, A-10 Thunderbolt, AV-88 Harrier; European: commercial: Airbus A-3400-600, A310, A320, A330, A340; Concorde; France: commercial: Avions de Transport Regional ATR 42, ATR 52, ATR 72, Super ATR; Caravelle Super 8; Military: Mirage 2000; Israel: military: Kfir-C7; Netherlands: commercial: Fokker F-27, F-28, F-100, F-140; Sweden: commercial: SAAB 340A, 340B, 2000; United Kingdom: commercial: BAe 125-800, 146, 1000, Viscount 843, Vickers Vanguard 953, Jetstream 31, Jetstream Super 31, Jetstream 41, Jetstream 51; Shorts 330-200, 360; military: Hawk, Sea Harrier, Tornado, Lightning F.Mk3; Trident 1; Russian Federation: commercial: Antonov, Ilyushin, Tupolev, military: Tu-16 Kipper, TU20 Bear, Backfire, MiG-17, MiG-21 Fishbed, Mig-23 Flogger, MiG-AT, MiG-29 Falcrum, Sn-17/20/22 Fitter.
plane Synonyms
plane Usage Examples
Preposition: of
- ecliptic: Pluto's orbit deviates the most from the plane of the ecliptic with an inclination of 17 degrees.
- equator: Latitude The angular distance between the normal at a point on an ellipsoid and the plane of the equator of the ellipsoid.
- existence: Will our plane of existence merge with the world beyond the veil?
Converse of object
- hijack: The film tells the story of the fourth hijacked plane on the day of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil.
- fly: Saddam may be a nasty piece of work but he had nothing to do with flying planes into the World Trade Center.
Adjective modifier
- inclined: Built an inclined plane on the Dorset & Somerset Canal.
- focal: A cross can be seen in the back focal plane.
- horizontal: The sound rotates in the horizontal plane, three squares away starting directly to the left of the listener.
- vertical: Now for why the ice crystals remain in a vertical plane.
- astral: As such it opens our psychic faculties and link and understanding of the astral planes.
- galactic: However, dust absorption can reduce the Halpha intensity, particularly near or on the Galactic plane.
Modifies a noun
- crash: He died in a plane crash in 1996 in Nigeria.
- ticket: Stories of how they saved for the boat or plane tickets to come to Britain.
- shutter: The focal plane shutter allows the use of lenses without shutters of their own which are generally a stop faster than the shuttered equivalents.
Noun used with modifier
- bedding: Follow the bedding plane passage leading off from here, to the right.
- fighter: The world's modern fighter planes are at your command.
- spy: Some think the Air Force has built a hypersonic spy plane that can travel at six times the speed of sound.
- spotter: The Fisheries patrol boat was in the area and their spotter plane flew overhead.
- reconnaissance: By this the strategists usually seem to mean using special forces or satellite-guided bombs or pilotless reconnaissance planes.
- cargo: A cargo plane full of soldiers who we re doctors ready to take off for Iraq.
Browse dictionary entries near plane
- ‹ Planck's constant
- ‹ Planck, Max Karl Ernst
- ‹ Planck
- ‹ planchette
- ‹ planchet
- ‹ planation
- ‹ planarian
- ‹ planar
- ‹ plan sponsor
- ‹ plan-
- plane angle ›
- plane geometry ›
- plane table ›
- plane tree ›
- planeload ›
- planer ›
- planer tree ›
- planet ›
- planet-stricken ›
- planet wheel ›

