airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈer-ˌplān How to pronounce airplane (audio)
Synonyms of airplanenext
: a powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift

Illustration of airplane

Illustration of airplane
  • 1 weather radar
  • 2 cockpit
  • 3 jet engine
  • 4 engine pod
  • 5 pylon
  • 6 wing
  • 7 vertical stabilizer
  • 8 rudder
  • 9 10 tabs
  • 11 elevator
  • 12 horizontal stabilizer
  • 13 inboard flap
  • 14 inboard spoiler
  • 15 16 tabs
  • 17 aileron
  • 18 outboard flap
  • 19 outboard spoiler
  • 20 sound suppressor
  • 21 thrust reverser
  • 22 cabin air intake
  • 23 fuselage
  • 24 nose landing gear

Synonyms of airplane

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Examples of airplane in a Sentence

my uncle learned how to fly an airplane while serving in the air force
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Since the weather was pretty fair at the time of the crash and the NTSB had few initial takeaways about the environment, the airplane itself will be key, Muntean said. —Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025 Hopping on an airplane should always be a happy occasion. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025 Boeing didn’t mention the system in airplane manuals, and most pilots didn’t know about it. —Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025 Is a black box required on all airplanes? —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airplane

Word History

Etymology

alteration of aeroplane

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airplane was in 1906

Phrases Containing airplane

Rhymes for airplane

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Browse Nearby Words

air pistol
airplane
airplane cloth
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Cite this Entry

“Airplane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airplane. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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Kids Definition

airplane

noun
air·​plane ˈa(ə)r-ˌplān How to pronounce airplane (audio)
ˈe(ə)r-
: a fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft that is driven by a propeller or by a forceful stream of gases backward and is supported by the reaction of the air against its wings

More from Merriam-Webster on airplane

Nglish: Translation of airplane for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about airplane

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