Plane

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pleɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn
• Homophones: plain

From Latin planum ("flat surface"), a noun use of the neuter of planus ("plain"). The word was introduced in the seventeenth century to distinguish the geometrical senses from the other senses of plain.

Full definition of plane

Adjective

1. Of a surface: flat or level.

Noun

1. A level or flat surface.
2. (geometry) A flat surface extending infinitely in all directions (e.g. horizontal or vertical plane).
3. A level of existence or development. (eg, astral plane)
4. A roughly flat, thin, often moveable structure used to create lateral force by the flow of air or water over its surface, found on aircraft, submarines, etc.
5. (computing, Unicode) Any of a number of designated ranges of sequential code points.
6. (anatomy) An imaginary plane which divides the body into two portions.

Hyponyms

• (mathematics) real plane, complex plane
• (anatomy) coronal plane, frontal plane, sagittal plane, transverse plane

Derived terms

• planeswalker

Related terms

• plain
• planar

From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French, from Late Latin plana ("planing tool"), from plano ("to level")

Noun

1. (countable) A tool for smoothing wood by removing thin layers from the surface.

Verb

1. (transitive) To smooth (wood) with a plane.

Abbreviated from aeroplane.

Noun

1. An airplane; an aeroplane.
• 2013-09-06, Tom Cheshire, Solar-powered travel, The plane is travelling impossibly slowly – 30km an hour – when it gently noses up and leaves the ground. With air beneath them, the rangy wings seem to gain strength; the fuselage that on the ground seemed flimsy becomes elegant, like a crane vaunting in flight. It seems not to fly, though, so much as float.

Derived terms

• floatplane
• planeside
• planespotter/plane spotter/plane-spotter
• plane spotting
• seaplane

Verb

1. (nautical) To move in a way that lifts the bow of a boat out of the water.
2. To glide or soar.

From Old French plane, from Latin platanus, from Ancient Greek πλάτανος, from πλατύς (platus, "wide, broad").

Noun

1. (countable, botany) A deciduous tree of the genus Platanus.
2. (Northern UK) A sycamore.

Anagrams

• Alpen, Nepal, panel, penal, plena