airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈer-ˌplān 

: a powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift

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

• plane
• aeroplane
• airliner

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

This is like ignoring weather conditions when flying an airplane. —Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Turbulence tracking site Turbli released a report that ranked the most turbulent airplane routes in the world in 2025. —Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026

Others sympathise with the protestor and the airplane bursts into applause when the deportee is finally lead off the plane. —John Hopewell, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026

The gentleman on the seat in front of me on that plane was smoking (yes, kids, cigarettes were once permissible on airplanes) not one, but two, cigarettes that were nestled twixt three fingers on his left hand. —Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of aeroplane

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing airplane

• airplane mode

Rhymes for airplane

• abstain
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign
• cetane

Kids Definition

airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈa(ə)r-ˌplān 

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