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.
He said: "I'll never forget going out of that aeroplane and falling through the air, but it was all over so quickly."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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
Its FP1 and FP2 drones, each the size of a small aeroplane, have carried out 60% of Ukraine's long-range strikes.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025
New Delhi city authorities, working with the government's Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, launched a test run on Thursday afternoon using a Cessna light aeroplane over the city's northern Burari area.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
They asked for volunteers to learn to be aeroplane mechanics, and you can bet I stepped right up.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.