pane
noun
one of the divisions of a window or the like, consisting of a single plate of glass in a frame.
pane
1 American
[payn]
/ peɪn /
noun
-
panes
plural
-
one of the divisions of a window or the like, consisting of a single plate of glass in a frame.
-
a plate of glass for such a division.
-
a panel, as of a wainscot, ceiling, door, etc.
-
a flat section, side, or surface, as one of the sides of a bolthead.
-
Philately. a sheet of stamps or any large portion of one, as a half or a quarter, as issued by the post office.
pané
2
American
[pa-nay, pa -nay]
/ pæˈneɪ, paˈneɪ /
adjective
pane
1
British
/ peɪn /
noun
-
a sheet of glass in a window or door
-
a panel of a window, door, wall, etc
-
a flat section or face, as of a cut diamond
-
philately
-
any of the rectangular marked divisions of a sheet of stamps made for convenience in selling
-
a single page in a stamp booklet See also tête-bêche se tenant
-
pane
2
British
/ peɪn /
noun
pané
3
British
/ pane /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pane1
1250–1300; Middle English pane, pan strip of cloth, section < Middle French pan < Latin pannus cloth; akin to Old English fana flag; see vane
Origin of pané2
From French
Explanation
A pane is a piece of glass, especially one that fits into a window frame. If you hit your baseball through your neighbors' kitchen window, you'll probably owe them a new pane. Panes are almost always made of glass, although occasionally they're some other translucent material. Stained-glass windows have colorful panes, and older houses with their original details often have windows made of many small glass panes. The original meaning of pane was "piece of a garment," from the Latin pannum, "piece of cloth." Later, a pane became "a panel of wood," and finally "a panel of glass."
Vocabulary lists containing pane
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.
See Examples For:
But I also looked in at myself as a mother through the leaded-glass pane of our very lovely living-room windows, and I saw a washed-out woman worn down to the thinnest thread.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
Users open up a gray pane that displays their file directory, lines of code and a chatbot window, where they can select their AI model of choice.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
Teri also created a faux window pane using adhesive vinyl.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
Cinematographer Łukasz Żal frames the scene in a pane of window glass so that Agnes’ reflection ripples across Will’s yearning face, contrasting the earthy enchantress with the indoor bookworm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
A child with a slice of bread came to the window and pressed his nose against the pane.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
This early-to-mid 19th century craft involves applying artwork, lettering and gold leaf backwards onto glass panes, as often seen in traditional pubs or shop fronts.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Antique globes are mixed with model boats, window panes, wooden masks and painted watermelons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Fans in suites in the rafters leaned over glass panes to get a better look.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
Museums had only just started succeeding against soup-throwing protesters by adding protective glazing or panes of glass to protect their iconic artworks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
She smiled at them and asked how she could help them, with the sun beaming behind her through large panes of glass.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
