airplane
Americannoun
-
a heavier-than-air aircraft kept aloft by the upward thrust exerted by the passing air on its fixed wings and driven by propellers, jet propulsion, etc.
-
any similar heavier-than-air aircraft, as a glider or helicopter.
noun
Other Word Forms
- proairplane adjective
Etymology
Origin of airplane
1870–75, for an earlier sense; alteration of aeroplane, with air 1 replacing aero-
Compare meaning
How does airplane compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Its technology, for example, could simulate how air flows around airplane wings, or predict where a metal part might crack under pressure, the the Journal reported.
From Los Angeles Times
“Copy, yeah, we prefer to wait on a gate, but I mean, again, we only got so much time here because there's still a bit of an odor in the back of the airplane.”
The economy cabin is losing the turf war on airplanes.
For example, its technology might be able to simulate how air flows around an airplane wing, or predict exactly where a metal part will crack under pressure.
She said their decision-making is “just as reckless as letting a group of amateur pilots dictate how our airplanes should fly.”
From Salon
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.
