vane

¹ American  

[veyn] / veɪn /

noun

1. weather vane.

2. a blade, plate, sail, etc., in the wheel of a windmill, to be moved by the air.

3. any of a number of blades or plates attached radially to a rotating drum or cylinder, as in a turbine or pump, that move or are moved by a fluid, as steam, water, hot gases, or air.

4. a person who is readily changeable or fickle.

5. Aerospace.

   1. any fixed or movable plane surface on the outside of a rocket providing directional control while the rocket is within the atmosphere.

   2. a similar plane surface located in the exhaust jet of a reaction engine, providing directional control while the engine is firing.

6. Ornithology. the web of a feather.

7. Navigation, Surveying. either of two fixed projections for sighting an alidade or the like.

8. Archery. feather.

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Vane ² American  

[veyn] / veɪn /

noun

1. Sir Henry Sir Harry Vane, 1613–62, British statesman and author.

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vane ¹ British  

/ veɪn /

noun

1. Also called: weather vane.   wind vane.  a flat plate or blade of metal mounted on a vertical axis in an exposed position to indicate wind direction

2. any one of the flat blades or sails forming part of the wheel of a windmill

3. any flat or shaped plate used to direct fluid flow, esp a stator blade in a turbine, etc

4. a fin or plate fitted to a projectile or missile to provide stabilization or guidance

5. ornithol the flat part of a feather, consisting of two rows of barbs on either side of the shaft

6. surveying

   1. a sight on a quadrant or compass

   2. the movable marker on a levelling staff

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Vane ² British  

/ veɪn /

noun

1. Sir Henry, known as Sir Harry Vane. 1613–62, English Puritan statesman and colonial administrator; governor of Massachusetts (1636–37). He was executed for high treason after the Restoration

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vane Scientific  

/ vān /

1. The flattened, weblike part of a feather, consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the rachis.

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Other Word Forms

• multivane adjective
• vaned adjective
• vaneless adjective

Etymology

Origin of vane

before 1100; Middle English; Old English fana flag; cognate with German Fahne flag, Gothic fana segment of cloth; gonfanon

Example Sentences

“Weather vanes don’t have names,” Constantin said, kicking at the ground.

From Literature

When throngs of visitors move through the show, which started Nov. 8, they’ll create air currents, stirring the mobiles to move in a slow ballet of weather vanes.

From Seattle Times

The blades can move to change their pitch and adjust the air flow, as can a set of fixed vanes just behind the fan.

From Seattle Times

A museum should not change directions like a weather vane but give us the reassurance that some things are timeless and provide us with the history and progression of art.

From Los Angeles Times

We can smell mulch, feel the vanes of feathers, bump into doors and taste peppermints.

From New York Times