plane1
- a flat or level surface.
- Geometry. a surface generated by a straight line moving at a constant velocity with respect to a fixed point.
- Fine Arts. an area of a two-dimensional surface having determinate extension and spatial direction or position: oblique plane; horizontal plane.
- a level of dignity, character, existence, development, or the like: a high moral plane.
- Aeronautics.
- an airplane or a hydroplane: to take a plane to Dallas.
- a thin, flat or curved, extended section of an airplane or a hydroplane, affording a supporting surface.
- Architecture. a longitudinal section through the axis of a column.
- flat or level, as a surface.
- of or relating to planes or plane figures.
- to glide or soar.
- (of a boat) to rise partly out of the water when moving at high speed.
- Informal. to fly or travel in an airplane: We'll drive to Detroit and plane to Los Angeles.
Origin of plane1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for plane on Thesaurus.complane2
- Carpentry. any of various woodworking instruments for paring, truing, or smoothing, or for forming moldings, chamfers, rabbets, grooves, etc., by means of an inclined, adjustable blade moved along and against the piece being worked.
- a trowellike tool for smoothing the surface of clay in a brick mold.
- to smooth or dress with or as if with a plane or a planer.
- to remove by or as if by means of a plane (usually followed by away or off).
- to work with a plane.
- to function as a plane.
Origin of plane2
Examples from the Web for planed
Historical Examples
The block will be cut out to this line and planed up as true as possible.
Boys' Book of Model BoatsRaymond Francis Yates
It is pointed at each end, and part of it is planed off to form the upper deck.
Boys' Book of Model BoatsRaymond Francis Yates
The test of this is to put together two plates so planed off.
Practical Mechanics for BoysJ. S. Zerbe
The floor was rough boards, but we planed them off by scrubbing with white sand.
Old Rail Fence CornersVarious
The bed he lies in was sawed and planed by a machine, or cast in a foundry.
The Voice of the MachinesGerald Stanley Lee
plane1
- maths a flat surface in which a straight line joining any two of its points lies entirely on that surface
- a flat or level surface
- a level of existence, performance, attainment, etc
- short for aeroplane
- a wing or supporting surface of an aircraft or hydroplane
- level or flat
- maths (of a curve, figure, etc) lying entirely in one plane
- to fly without moving wings or using engines; glide
- (of a boat) to rise partly and skim over the water when moving at a certain speed
- to travel by aeroplane
Word Origin
plane2
- a tool with an adjustable sharpened steel blade set obliquely in a wooden or iron body, for levelling or smoothing timber surfaces, cutting mouldings or grooves, etc
- a flat tool, usually metal, for smoothing the surface of clay or plaster in a mould
- to level, smooth, or cut (timber, wooden articles, etc) using a plane or similar tool
- (often foll by off) to remove using a plane
Word Origin
plane3
- See plane tree
Word Origin and History for planed
plane
n.1
"flat surface," c.1600, from Latin planum "flat surface, plane, level, plain," noun use of neuter of adjective planus "flat, level, even, plain, clear," from PIE *pla-no- (cf. Lithuanian plonas "thin;" Celtic *lanon "plain;" perhaps also Greek pelanos "sacrificial cake, a mixture offered to the gods, offering (of meal, honey, and oil) poured or spread"), suffixed form of root *pele- (2) "to spread out, broad, flat" (cf. Old Church Slavonic polje "flat land, field," Russian polyi "open;" Old English and Old High German feld, Middle Dutch veld "field"). Introduced (perhaps by influence of French plan in this sense) to differentiate the geometrical senses from plain, which in mid-16c. English also meant "geonetric plane." Figurative sense is attested from 1850. As an adjective from 1660s.
plane
n.2
1908, short for aeroplane (see airplane).
plane
n.3
"tool for smoothing surfaces," mid-14c., from Old French plane, earlier plaine (14c.), from Late Latin plana, back-formation from planare "make level," from Latin planus "level, flat" (see plane (n.1)).
plane
n.4
"tree of the genus Platanus," late 14c., from Old French plane, earlier plasne (14c.), from Latin platanus, from Greek platanos, earlier platanistos "plane tree," a species from Asia Minor, associated with platys "broad" (see plaice (n.)), in reference to its leaves. Applied since 1778 in Scotland and northern England to the sycamore, whose leaves somewhat resemble those of the true plane tree.
plane
v.1
"to make smooth," early 14c., "to gloss over, explain away;" mid-14c. as "to make smooth or even," from Old French planer "to smooth, level off; wipe away, erase" (12c.), from Late Latin planare "make level," from Latin planus "level, flat" (see plane (n.1)). In early use in English often plain. Related: Planed; planing.
plane
v.2
"soar, glide on motionless wings," early 15c., from Old French planer "to hover (as a bird), to lie flat," from plan (n.) "plane," from Latin planum "flat surface" (see plane (n.1)), on notion of bird gliding with flattened wings. Of boats, etc., "to skim over the surface of water," it is first found 1913. Related: Planed; planing.
plane
(plān)- A surface containing all the straight lines that connect any two points on it.
- A flat or level surface.
- An imaginary surface formed by extension through any axis of the body or through two definite points on the body.
plane
- A two-dimensional surface, any two of whose points can be joined by a straight line that lies entirely in the surface.
- Lying in a plane:a plane curve.
plane
A geometrical location having only two dimensions — length and width (no height). (See coordinates and plane geometry.)