vane

[ veyn ]

/ veɪn /

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noun

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

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.

a person who is readily changeable or fickle.

Aerospace.

any fixed or movable plane surface on the outside of a rocket providing directional control while the rocket is within the atmosphere.
a similar plane surface located in the exhaust jet of a reaction engine, providing directional control while the engine is firing.

Ornithology. the web of a feather.

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

Archery. feather (def. 5).

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Origin of vane

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

OTHER WORDS FROM vane

vaned, adjectivevaneless, adjectivemul·ti·vane, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vane

vain, vane , vein

Other definitions for vane (2 of 2)

Vane

[ veyn ]

/ veɪn /

noun

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

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

How to use vane in a sentence

I'm now vaned from all such vanities; for what are all those rarities and vagaries to the glory that shall be revealed hereafter?
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker|Tobias Smollett
Through the water the Nevian commander darted along, steering his course accurately by means of his short, vaned tail.
Triplanetary|Edward Elmer Smith

British Dictionary definitions for vane (1 of 2)

vane

/ (veɪn) /

noun

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

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

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

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

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

surveying

a sight on a quadrant or compass
the movable marker on a levelling staff

Derived forms of vane

vaned, adjectivevaneless, adjective

Word Origin for vane

Old English fana; related to Old Saxon, Old High German fano, Old Norse fani, Latin pannus cloth

British Dictionary definitions for vane (2 of 2)

Vane

/ (veɪn) /

noun

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

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

Scientific definitions for vane

vane

[ vān ]

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

vane

Origin of vane

OTHER WORDS FROM vane

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vane

Other definitions for vane (2 of 2)

Words related to vane

How to use vane in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vane (1 of 2)

Derived forms of vane

Word Origin for vane

British Dictionary definitions for vane (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for vane