airplane

noun

air·plane | \ ˈer-ˌplān

Definition of airplane

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

Illustration of airplane

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

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Examples of airplane in a Sentence

my uncle learned how to fly an airplane during World War II

Recent Examples on the Web

The score responds to the environment—rain, airplanes, or passing pigeons—creating an easy connection to the city outside while upholding the space’s ethos of balance and belonging. — Carmen Rosy Hall, Vogue, "Tranquility Rules at Sister City, the Newest Hotel on Bowery," 30 Apr. 2019 The journey would involve four airplanes: Aswan to Cairo, Cairo to Paris, Paris to New York, New York to Los Angeles. — Nicole Pajer, SELF, "What I Wish I’d Known Before Dealing With a Medical Emergency While Traveling Abroad," 15 Apr. 2019 Overall, Spaceport Japan apparently wants to secure a foothold in the international space-business race by building Asia's first space travel hub for private spacecraft launched from airplanes, such as Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Russia’s nuclear rocket, airspace wars, BFR changes explained," 30 Nov. 2018 But private-sector defense workers make up less than 0.5 percent of the total US labor force, and that includes every person whose job depends directly on the sale or production of airplanes, tanks, bombs, and services for the entire US military. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "“It’s not going to create or take away a single job”: Why Trump’s excuse on the Saudis doesn’t hold up," 21 Oct. 2018 The implementation of the first-of-its kind virtual reality experience means fliers can experience near-real-life skydiving sights in some of the world’s most beautiful destinations like Hawaii and Dubai, without setting foot in an airplane. — Staff Reports, Houston Chronicle, "News & Notes: The Woodlands, June 23," 23 June 2018 In 1950, the European luxury suitcase company Rimowa, beloved by designers and celebrities, alike, added its now signature grooves to the aluminum shell of its cases, inspired in part by the silhouettes of airplanes. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Rimowa Kicks Off Milan Design Week with a Stunning Aluminum Car Sculpture," 9 Apr. 2019 Also, perhaps airplane food is not garbage and Yelp reviews aren’t seemingly overwhelmingly written by middle-aged white women. — Sara Tardiff, Teen Vogue, "Solo Travel Tips for Women and Nonbinary People," 17 Sep. 2018 People will quickly counterstrike with something like: Why do airplanes fly or antibiotics work? — Marcelo Gleiser, Scientific American, "How Much Can We Know?," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'airplane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

3 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for airplane

The first known use of airplane was in 1906

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More Definitions for airplane

airplane

noun

English Language Learners Definition of airplane

US : a machine that has wings and an engine and that flies through the air

See the full definition for airplane in the English Language Learners Dictionary

airplane

noun

air·plane | \ ˈer-ˌplān

Kids Definition of airplane

: an aircraft with wings which do not move, that is heavier than air, is driven by a propeller or jet engine, and is supported by the action of the air against its wings