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
[peyn]
/ 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-ney, pa -ney]
/ 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
One impromptu visit opens with him breaking a window pane dating back to the 19th century.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2025
Pressed against the glass, his hand began to burn on the icy pane.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
Indeed, Saar’s multi-level home studio in Laurel Canyon is bursting with dozens of old empty picture frames, discarded window panes, wooden chests, antique chairs and vintage clocks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
Fans in suites in the rafters leaned over glass panes to get a better look.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
More permanent window inserts—typically, panes of transparent hard plastic that fit tightly within a window frame, start at around $80 a window and can easily cost $400 or more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
The sealed panes prevent air from passing through, increasing pressure inside and making walls and roofs more likely to fall when storms strike.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2025
Gray windows, empty except for a few Christmas-stars stuck to the panes on the ground floor.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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.
