plane

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plane 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.

Nearby words

planck constant, planck's constant, planck's law, planck's radiation law, planck, max, plane, plane angle, plane chart, plane geometry, plane iron, plane joint

Origin of plane

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

SYNONYMS FOR plane

4 stratum, stage.

7 smooth, even, flush.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plane ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsplane·ness, noun

Can be confusedplain plan plane

Definition for planed (2 of 2)

plane

[ 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

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English (< Middle French) < Late Latin plāna, derivative of plānāre to smooth, itself derivative of Latin plānus plain¹; (v.) Middle English planen (< Middle French planer) < Late Latin plānāre

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for planed

A heavy log, planed to a smooth top surface and resting on two projecting stone brackets, is frequently used with good effect.
Making a Fireplace|Henry H. Saylor
Or a long strip may be planed to thickness and width and then be sawn up and finished to the proper lengths.
Handwork in Wood|William Noyes
Then glue the perforated board to another board, the surfaces of both being of course first planed and smoothed.
A Manual of Wood Carving|Charles G. Leland
To make the vane balance, the rear portion from the pivot to the stern should be planed thin and rounded with the spokeshave.
Carpentry and Woodwork|Edwin W. Foster

Having decided which is to be the upper part or that covered by the fingerboard, this is planed to a good level and smoothed.
The Repairing & Restoration of Violins|Horace Petherick

British Dictionary definitions for planed (1 of 3)

plane

/ (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 Formsplaneness, noun

Word Origin for plane

C17: from Latin plānum level surface

British Dictionary definitions for planed (2 of 3)

plane

/ (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 planed (3 of 3)

plane

/ (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

Word Origin and History for planed (1 of 6)

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.

Word Origin and History for planed (1 of 6)

plane

n.2

1908, short for aeroplane (see airplane).

Word Origin and History for planed (2 of 6)

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)).

Word Origin and History for planed (3 of 6)

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.

Word Origin and History for planed (4 of 6)

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.

Word Origin and History for planed (5 of 6)

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.

Medicine definitions for planed

plane

[ plān ]

n.

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.

Science definitions for planed

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.

Culture definitions for planed

plane

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

plane

noun

adjective

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

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Nearby words

Origin of plane

Definition for planed (2 of 2)

plane

noun

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

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

Origin of plane

Examples from the Web for planed

British Dictionary definitions for planed (1 of 3)

plane

noun

adjective

verb (intr)

Word Origin for plane

British Dictionary definitions for planed (2 of 3)

plane

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for plane

British Dictionary definitions for planed (3 of 3)

plane

noun

Word Origin and History for planed (1 of 6)

plane

Word Origin and History for planed (1 of 6)

plane

Word Origin and History for planed (2 of 6)

plane

Word Origin and History for planed (3 of 6)

plane

Word Origin and History for planed (4 of 6)

plane

Word Origin and History for planed (5 of 6)

plane

Medicine definitions for planed

plane

n.

Science definitions for planed

plane

Noun

Adjective

Culture definitions for planed

plane