monoplane

American  

[mon-uh-pleyn] / ˈmɒn əˌpleɪn /

noun

1. an airplane with one main sustaining surface or one set of wings.

2. Nautical. a planing plane craft the bottom of which is in an unbroken fore-and-aft line.

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monoplane British  

/ ˈmɒnəʊˌpleɪn /

noun

1. an aeroplane with only one pair of wings Compare biplane

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Other Word Forms

• monoplanist noun

Etymology

Origin of monoplane

First recorded in 1905–10; mono- + plane ¹

Compare meaning

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

• monoplane vs. biplane

Example Sentences

Numerous expeditions have turned up nothing, only confirming that swaths of ocean floor held no trace of her twin-tailed monoplane.

From Seattle Times

He won cash prizes and set two records at Dominguez, one of them for quickest takeoff in his monoplane — 6.4 seconds.

From Los Angeles Times

She became the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel on April 16, 1912, in a Bleriot monoplane.

From Washington Post

While Charles Lindbergh is remembered for his solo crossing in an enclosed metal monoplane on May 21, 1927, this earlier, far-more-challenging trip in an open-cockpit biplane made of wood and fabric is nearly forgotten today.

From Washington Post

On Jan. 19, 1937, millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

From Seattle Times