monoplane

noun

mono·​plane ˈmä-nə-ˌplān How to pronounce monoplane (audio)
: an airplane with only one main supporting surface

Examples of monoplane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Only the pleading of Ernest Jones, who flew to Vienna in a chartered monoplane, could move him intellectually; only a direct threat to his beloved daughter and successor could move him viscerally. Patrick Blanchfield, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2022 The first recorded flight to Antarctica was a Lockheed Vega 1 monoplane in 1928, piloted by George Hubert Wilkins, an Australian military pilot and explorer. Lilit Marcus, CNN, 22 Nov. 2021 Relying on a compass for navigation—since the fog never cleared—and shivering in the frigid high altitude, Quimby piloted her Blériot monoplane toward France. Charlotte Gray, WSJ, 13 June 2022 The Wright brothers knew that a monoplane may have less drag, but a biplane was stronger. Walter J. Boyne and Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 23 May 2021 His Citabria monoplane had grazed the ground, smashing the craft’s landing gear. oregonlive, 23 Sep. 2020 In 1912, aviator Harriet Quimby, 37, was killed along with her passenger, William Willard, when they were thrown out of Quimby’s monoplane at the Third Annual Boston Aviation Meet. BostonGlobe.com, 1 July 2020 Pearse's bamboo monoplane made a textbook takeoff from his South Canterbury farm on March 31, 1903. Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 17 Dec. 2019 In 1937, millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monoplane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monoplane was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near monoplane

Cite this Entry

“Monoplane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monoplane. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

monoplane

noun
mono·​plane ˈmän-ə-ˌplān How to pronounce monoplane (audio)
: an airplane with only one set of wings

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