plane

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈplān 

1

a

[by shortening] : airplane

b

: one of the main supporting surfaces of an airplane

2

a

: a surface in which if any two points are chosen a straight line joining them lies wholly in that surface

b

: a flat or level surface

3

: a level of existence, consciousness, or development

on the intellectual plane

plane

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a tool for smoothing or shaping a wood surface

Illustration of plane

• ³plane

plane

3 of 3

noun (3)

: any of a genus (Platanus of the family Platanaceae, the plane-tree family) of chiefly deciduous trees with large palmately lobed leaves, flowers in globose heads, and usually scaling bark

called also buttonwood, plane tree, sycamore

Synonyms of plane

Noun (1)

• airplane
• aeroplane

Examples of plane in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a plane flew overhead

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The architects varied the floor planes and ceiling heights inside to help define spaces in lieu of walls, maintaining views of the panorama through expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass shaded by broad hemlock eaves. —Fred Albert, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

Everything was going swimmingly for the Cowboys until the day before their penultimate conference game, when a tragic plane crash took the lives of women's basketball coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026

Only when thousands of planes and landing craft approached five Normandy beaches more than 100 miles to the west did the Nazis realize the invasion—D-Day, June 6, 1944—was under way. —Kevin Maurer, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026

For nearly a decade, NASA has been working to engineer a plane that can fly faster than the speed of sound without resulting in disruptive sonic booms. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin planum, from neuter of planus level

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin plana, from planare

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin platanus, from Greek platanos; probably akin to Greek platys broad — more at place

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing plane

• aerospace plane
• block plane
• Cartesian plane
• complex plane
• equatorial plane
• focal plane
• half plane
• inclined plane
• jack plane
• London plane
• plane angle
• plane geometry
• plane of polarization
• plane-polarized
• plane table
• pontoon plane
• pursuit plane
• rocket plane
• tangent plane

Rhymes for plane

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

plane

1 of 5 verb

ˈplān 

planed; planing

1

: to make smooth or level especially with a plane

2

: to remove by planing

—often used with away or off

planer noun

plane

2 of 5 noun

: a tool for smoothing or shaping wood

plane

3 of 5 noun

1

a

: a surface in which a straight line joining any two points on the surface also lies completely on the surface

b

: a flat or level surface

2

: a level of existence or development

on the intellectual plane

3

a

: one of the main supporting surfaces of an airplane

b

: airplane

plane

4 of 5 adjective

1

: having no elevations or depressions : flat

2

a

: of, relating to, or dealing with planes

plane geometry

b

: lying within a plane

a plane curve

plane

5 of 5 verb

planed; planing

1

: to fly while keeping the wings still

2

: to travel by airplane

Etymology

Verb

Middle English planen "to make smooth or level," from early French planer (same meaning), derived from Latin planus "level" — related to plain entry 1

Adjective

from Latin planus "level"

Verb

from French planer "to fly while keeping the wings motionless," from plain "level, plain"; so called from the fact that the wings of a soaring bird form a level surface

Medical Definition

plane

noun

ˈplān 

1

a

: a surface that contains at least three points not all in a straight line and is such that a line drawn through any two points in it lies wholly in the surface

b

: an imaginary plane used to identify parts of the body or a part of the skull see frankfort horizontal plane, midsagittal plane

2

: a stage in surgical anesthesia

a light plane of anesthesia is maintained with cyclopropane

—The Journal of the American Medical Association