biplane

[ bahy-pleyn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an airplane with two sets of wings, one above and usually slightly forward of the other.

biplane

/ ˈbaɪˌpleɪn /

a type of aeroplane having two sets of wings, one above the other Compare monoplane

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Origin of biplane¹

First recorded in 1870–75; bi- ¹ + (air)plane

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How does biplane compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Sitting alone in the cockpit of a small biplane, Martin Wikelski listens for the pings of a machine by his side.

Should the program successfully demonstrate swarm launch and recovery, it will finally surpass the goblins and biplanes of the past.

They flew in a rickety, underpowered biplane and carried just $25 in their pockets.

Doyle makes routine flights over the 1,700-acre compound in his biplane.

We talk familiarly now about aeroplanes and the different kinds of aeroplanes, such as the monoplane, biplane, etc.

I caught a fleeting glimpse of what I took to be a little biplane.

Undaunted by his failure he set to work on a double set of wings, very similar to a modern biplane.

For where the biplane has an intricate control system, Lilienthal relied entirely upon his own body to operate his glider.

Chanute, a Frenchman, now devised a biplane glider with which he succeeded in making brief flights of a few seconds.

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