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aeroplane

American  
[air-uh-playn] / ˈɛər əˌpleɪn /

noun

Chiefly British.
  1. airplane.


aeroplane British  
/ ˈɛərəˌpleɪn, ˈɛəˌpleɪn /

noun

  1. a heavier-than-air powered flying vehicle with fixed wings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

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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