seaplane

American

[see-playn] / ˈsiˌpleɪn /

noun

an airplane provided with floats for taking off from or landing on water.

seaplane British

/ ˈsiːˌpleɪn /

noun

Also called (esp US): hydroplane. any aircraft that lands on and takes off from water

"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

Etymology

Origin of seaplane

First recorded in 1910–15; sea + plane ¹

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:

seaplane

Lifting off from the water on their return flight, the seaplane went into a stall-spin and sputtered into the trees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

At least eight people have been rescued from a seaplane that landed in New York City's East River, authorities say.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

The waterfront then just a block behind, our couple strolled from seaplane to their suite to begin their first foray into Asia.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025

Some moments never cease to surprise, such as a full-scale seaplane being jettisoned into the pond.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024

Eight days after the crash, a pilot named Mikhail Sakharov in a civilian aviation service seaplane finally spotted the downed Rodina.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023