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.
Intel’s representative explained that the Intel team has pushed this to extremes in testing—their vPro team even challenged each other, successfully, to try to access a troubled machine that was acting up on a flight, over airplane Wi-Fi! —John Burek, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026 Benet softball star Sophie Rosner doesn’t remember all the details of her first ride in an airplane. —Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 Investigators continue to probe for answers in Sunday's deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport, as officials examine why a runway safety system failed to issue an alert before a Port Authority fire truck crashed into a landing passenger airplane. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026 On Wednesday, March 25, the asteroids, the size of a car, an airplane, and two more the size of buses, will pass near Earth, according to NASA. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026 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

See All Rhymes for airplane

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 26 Mar. 2026.

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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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