monoplane
Americannoun
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an airplane with one main sustaining surface or one set of wings.
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Nautical. a planing craft the bottom of which is in an unbroken fore-and-aft line.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monoplane
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Explanation
Unlike a biplane, which has two sets of wings stacked on top of each other, a monoplane is designed to be sleeker and faster with just a single set of wings. The word monoplane combines the Greek prefix mono-, meaning "one," with the word plane to describe an airplane with a single pair of wings. When the monoplane design emerged in the early 20th century, it quickly gained popularity for its greater speed and efficiency compared to bulkier, double-winged planes. With their sleek, streamlined form, monoplanes became the go-to choice for aviation pioneers and eventually set the standard for nearly all modern aircraft designs, from fighter jets to commercial airliners.
Vocabulary lists containing monoplane
"Women in Aviation," Vocabulary from the informational text
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: mono
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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.
On Nov. 24, 2021, Jacob flew his aircraft, a single-engine Taylorcraft BL-65 monoplane, out of Lompoc City Airport in California and heading toward Mammoth Lakes.
From Washington Times • May 12, 2023
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 • Jan. 10, 2023
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 • May 21, 2022
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 • Jan. 18, 2020
Apparently its mission had been to chase the inquisitive Turkish monoplane, and to observe the nature of the defences of Fort Medjidieh.
From The Fight for Constantinople A Story of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
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.
