seaplane

[ see-pleyn ]

/ ˈsiˌpleɪn /

Save This Word!

noun

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

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of seaplane

First recorded in 1910–15; sea + plane¹

Words nearby seaplane

sea pen, seaperch, seapiece, sea pigeon, sea pink, seaplane, sea-poacher, sea poppy, seaport, sea power, sea purse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use seaplane in a sentence

No roads connect this fishing hub with other towns in Alaska, so you’ll have to catch a seaplane or boat to get here.
The 24 Best Mountain Towns in the U.S., Ranked|eriley|January 6, 2022|Outside Online
Be aware that neither the commercial ferry nor seaplane will take your pet to the island, so plan accordingly.
The Most Dog-Friendly National Parks in the U.S.|Emily Pennington|May 7, 2021|Outside Online
VESSELS MOORED IN HARBOR: NINE BATTLESHIPS; THREE CLASS-B CRUISERS; THREE SEAPLANE TENDERS; SEVENTEEN DESTROYERS.
The Forgotten Crimes of Japan's Pearl Harbor Spy, Tadashi Morimura|Marc Wortman|December 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
We cantered over to Seaplane Camp; passed the time of day to the men there and over-hauled some of the machines.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume 2|Ian Hamilton

Early in the evening—at 7.50—a seaplane depot-ship came alongside and took us in tow for ten hours.
The Heroic Record of the British Navy|Archibald Hurd
"I can't make it out, Ned," he said as the boys stood watching the mechanics warm up the engines of the big seaplane.
Tom Swift and His Giant Telescope|Victor Appleton
The seaplane took the water safely, and "E 11" took her in tow with the idea of saving the machine.
The Story of Our Submarines|John Graham Bower
She slipped tow from Number One seaplane and fired several revolver bullets through its floats to ensure its sinking.
The Story of Our Submarines|John Graham Bower

British Dictionary definitions for seaplane

seaplane

/ (ˈsiːˌpleɪn) /

noun

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

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