triplane

American  

[trahy-pleyn] / ˈtraɪˌpleɪn /

1. an airplane with three supporting wings, one above another: a design used mainly in the early history of the airplane.

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triplane British  

/ ˈtraɪˌpleɪn /

noun

1. an aeroplane having three wings arranged one above the other

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Etymology

Origin of triplane

First recorded in 1905–10; tri- + plane ¹

Example Sentences

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘I had to have something else, just to keep my brain alive’: in his Fokker Dr1 triplane.

From The Guardian • Sep. 6, 2015

“I get to shoot down a Fokker triplane every Sunday afternoon,” said air show director Chris Bulko, who flew the Spad.

From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2014

I still have several of his planes, including the Red Baron’s triplane and the Gotha.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2010

On a shelf were more models like the Red Baron’s Fokker triplane, and a World War II ship, as my dad had been in the Navy.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2010

An early pioneer in aviation experiments—had the first triplane built for him by Voisins.

From Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1913 by Various