biplane

American

[bahy-pleyn] / ˈbaɪˌpleɪn /

noun

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

biplane British

/ ˈbaɪˌpleɪn /

noun

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

"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 biplane

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

Compare meaning

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

monoplane vs. biplane

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.

Such an aeroplane as this, which is equipped with two main planes, known as a BIPLANE.

From The Mastery of the Air by Claxton, William J.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023