airplane

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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

See airplane defined for English-language learners

See airplane defined for kids

Examples of airplane in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of airplane from the Web

Efforts to curb the snake population have become as extreme as dropping thousands of dead mice by airplane over the island.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "When the U.S. Military Came to Guam," 12 Aug. 2017
The New England Patriots have purchased two airplanes to become the first NFL team to own their own planes to fly to games, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.

— chris chavez, SI.com, "Patriots Become First NFL Team To Own Their Own Planes," 8 Aug. 2017
Hear from WWII veterans, costume contest, swing dancing, vintage airplanes and more.

— luann gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week: Aug. 8-13," 7 Aug. 2017
The rationale was that the American military relies on steel for airplanes, ships and other equipment.

— josh boak, The Seattle Times, "US-China trade rifts resurface as the 2 sides begin meeting," 19 July 2017
Twenty years earlier, General Billy Mitchell had used an airplane to sink a battleship, but changing the trajectory of military thinking, and hence procurement, often requires changing a service’s viscous culture.

— george will, National Review, "The Air Force Faces the Future," 19 July 2017
Stop into the Studio City store for model cars, airplanes, and rockets as well as dollhouse materials with all of the trimmings, including miniature furniture and home accessories.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Controversy over insecticides remains, especially naled, which was sprayed from airplanes last summer.

— devi shastri, jsonline.com, "In Miami, officials prepare for a new mosquito season – and brace for a return of Zika," 13 July 2017
Combat Caravan installs hardpoints on the airplane's wings capable of launching Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Turning a Mail Carrier Into a Warplane," 6 July 2017

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.

Illustration of airplane

Origin and Etymology of airplane

alteration of aeroplane

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1906

See Words from the same year

airplane Synonyms

Synonyms

aeroplane [chiefly British], plane

AIRPLANE Defined for English Language Learners

airplane

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noun

Definition of airplane for English Language Learners

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

AIRPLANE Defined for Kids

airplane

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noun air·plane \ ˈer-ˌplān \

Definition of airplane for Students

: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