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

• plane
• aeroplane [chiefly British]
• 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

Imprisoned Allied soldiers hid an entire airplane in the attic of Germany’s escape-proof Colditz Castle. —Pat Beall, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025

The landing gear must be positioned correctly in order to fit back into the airplane’s fuselage, said John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board. —Mika Gröndahl, New York Times, 28 June 2025

Photograph: Getty Images Not so long ago, direct aisle access along with the ability to lie horizontally were the hallmarks of comfort on airplanes if on entering you happened to be turning right and not left. —Jenny Southan, Wired News, 28 June 2025

Another post from Wednesday shows the interior of an airplane and says Irish influencer Harry Sisson was spotted on a flight. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025

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