plane

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

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See synonyms for: plane / planed / planing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

adjective

flat or level, as a surface.

of or relating to planes or plane figures.

verb (used without object), planed, plan·ing.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR plane

4 stratum, stage.

7 smooth, even, flush.

See synonyms for plane on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of plane

First recorded in 1400–50 (for def. 9) (in the sense “to soar”); 1640–50 for noun and adjective senses; (noun) from Latin plānum “flat surface” (noun use of plānus “flat”); (adjective) from Latin plānus; first used to distinguish the geometrical senses formerly belonging to plain¹; (in def. 5), shortened form of airplane, aeroplane, or hydroplane; (verb) late Middle English planen “(of a bird) to soar” (compare Middle French planer ); akin to plain¹

OTHER WORDS FROM plane

planeness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plane

plain, plan, plane

Other definitions for plane (2 of 3)

plane²

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

noun

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.

verb (used with object), planed, plan·ing.

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).

verb (used without object), planed, plan·ing.

to work with a plane.

to function as a plane.

Origin of plane

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English noun plane, plaine, pleine, from Middle French plan(n)e, Old French plaine, plane or directly from Late Latin plāna “plane, adze,” derivative of plānāre “to smooth,” itself derivative of Latin plānus plain¹; Middle English verb plane(n), plaine, pleine, from Middle French planer or directly from Late Latin plānāre

Other definitions for plane (3 of 3)

plane³

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

noun

plane tree.

Origin of plane

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plane, plaine, from Middle French plane, Old French pleine, plane, from Latin platanus, from Greek plátanos, derivative of platýs “wide, broad, flat” (with reference to the leaves)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use plane in a sentence

Another who had moved across the country said Erasquin bought her a plane ticket home but threatened to cancel her return flight when she did not come see him.
Matthew Erasquin, Arlington lawyer, accused of paying underage girls for sex|Rachel Weiner|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Yes, flying in a plane means you’re in an indoor space with other people.
The CDC’s Thanksgiving warning isn’t really about travel|Sy Mukherjee|November 20, 2020|Fortune
“This plane should be avoided by the flying public,” he said.
FAA lifts ban on Boeing 737 Max after crashes in 2018 and 2019 grounded the jet|Michael Laris, Lori Aratani, Ian Duncan|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Those are the things that make me, more than ever, want to get on a plane and head toward them, as I’ve done almost every year during the holidays.
A 28-year-old ‘nerd’ in Baltimore invented a new type of mask, and tapped into the strangeness of this 2020 holiday season|Theresa Vargas|November 18, 2020|Washington Post

It’s called a drone, but it’s more like a plane with two wings.
Leveraging collective intelligence and AI to benefit society|Jason Sparapani|November 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
I…saw…18th-century hand-hewn and hand-planed joists and beams with extremely wide floorboards right above them….
Is This the Tavern Where Washington Drank After Beating the British?|William Bryk|November 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is cut and planed to size while lying flat on a board, the plane being pushed along on its side on the bench top.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The heat will expand the wood and raise it enough so that the spot can be planed and smoothed in the usual manner.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
When she looked west the land was empty to the horizon, and a flock of big sand-hill cranes planed down the wind.
The Girl From Keller's|Harold Bindloss
Drive a pin perpendicularly into the face of the board, near the middle of the planed edge.
A Text-Book of Astronomy|George C. Comstock
On the rim and on the outer slopes just below it are a number of glacier grooved and planed rock-surfaces.
Your National Parks|Enos A. Mills

British Dictionary definitions for plane (1 of 3)

plane¹

/ (pleɪn) /

noun

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

adjective

level or flat

maths (of a curve, figure, etc) lying entirely in one plane

verb (intr)

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

Derived forms of plane

planeness, noun

Word Origin for plane

C17: from Latin plānum level surface

British Dictionary definitions for plane (2 of 3)

plane²

/ (pleɪn) /

noun

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

verb (tr)

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 for plane

C14: via Old French from Late Latin plāna plane, from plānāre to level

British Dictionary definitions for plane (3 of 3)

plane³

/ (pleɪn) /

noun

See plane tree

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for plane

plane

[ plān ]

Noun

A two-dimensional surface, any two of whose points can be joined by a straight line that lies entirely in the surface.

Adjective

Lying in a plane:a plane curve.

Cultural definitions for plane

plane

A geometrical location having only two dimensions — length and width (no height). (See coordinates and plane geometry.)

plane

OTHER WORDS FOR plane

Origin of plane

OTHER WORDS FROM plane

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plane

Other definitions for plane (2 of 3)

Origin of plane

Other definitions for plane (3 of 3)

Origin of plane

Words related to plane

How to use plane in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plane (1 of 3)

Derived forms of plane

Word Origin for plane

British Dictionary definitions for plane (2 of 3)

Word Origin for plane

British Dictionary definitions for plane (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for plane

Cultural definitions for plane