triplane

[ trahy-pleyn ]

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

Origin of triplane

First recorded in 1905–10; tri- + plane¹

Words Nearby triplane

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

How to use triplane in a sentence

The night bomber is very often a huge triplane, for the extra wing surface gives greater lifting power.
The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
First of all the pioneer designer had to choose between the monoplane, the biplane and the triplane.
The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
The huge night bombing machine of the present time is almost always of the triplane type.
The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
Until clever engineers came to the rescue with an improved aircraft motor, the triplane was very much in disfavor.
The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
Their three bombers, including a smaller triplane and a biplane, headed the list of their fellows at the front.
The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith

British Dictionary definitions for triplane

triplane

/ (ˈtraɪˌpleɪn) /

noun

an aeroplane having three wings arranged one above the other

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

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