aeroplane
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of aeroplane
1870–75; < French aéroplane, equivalent to aéro- aero- + -plane, apparently feminine of plan flat, level (< Latin plānus; cf. plain 1), perhaps by association with forme plane; apparently coined and first used by French sculptor and inventor Joseph Pline in 1855
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This is the blueprint of my life," said the actor, a lifelong aeroplane nut, who narrates the story.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
"In this context, the player has been invited to Istanbul to advance the transfer negotiations and undergo medical examinations," they added with a photo of Guendouzi on an aeroplane.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
Produced since 1988, the A320 is the world's best-selling aeroplane.
From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025
A 70-year-old man has died after a light aeroplane crash-landed at an airfield near Sherburn in Elmet.
From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025
The propellers faced to the rear, pushing the aeroplane forward rather than pulling it.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.