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⇱ plane - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

plane

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈpleɪn/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/pleɪn/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(plān)

Inflections of 'plane' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
planes
v 3rd person singular
planing
v pres p
planed
v past
planed
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
plane1 /pleɪn/USA pronunciation   n., adj., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. [countable]
  1. a flat or level surface.
  2. Fine Artan area of a two-dimensional surface:The tools can only be moved along one plane.
  3. a level of dignity or character:The candidates kept the debate on a high plane.
  4. an airplane.

adj. 
  1. flat or level, as a surface.
  2. Mathematicsof or relating to two-dimensional figures.

v. [no object]
  1. to glide or soar.
  2. Informal Termsto fly or travel in an airplane.

plane2 /pleɪn/USA pronunciation   n., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. [countable]
  1. Buildinga woodworking instrument for cutting or smoothing wood by means of a tilted, adjustable blade.

v. [~ + object]
  1. Buildingto smooth with or as if with a plane.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
plane1  (plān),USA pronunciation n., adj., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. 
  1. a flat or level surface.
  2. Mathematics[Geom.]a surface generated by a straight line moving at a constant velocity with respect to a fixed point.
  3. Fine Artan area of a two-dimensional surface having determinate extension and spatial direction or position:oblique plane; horizontal plane.
  4. a level of dignity, character, existence, development, or the like:a high moral plane.
  5. Aeronautics
    • an airplane or a hydroplane:to take a plane to Dallas.
    • a thin, flat or curved, extended section of an airplane or a hydroplane, affording a supporting surface.
  6. Architecturea longitudinal section through the axis of a column.

adj. 
  1. flat or level, as a surface.
  2. Mathematicsof or pertaining to planes or plane figures.

v.i. 
  1. to glide or soar.
  2. Nautical, Naval Terms(of a boat) to rise partly out of the water when moving at high speed.
  3. Informal Termsto fly or travel in an airplane:We'll drive to Detroit and plane to Los Angeles.
  • Latin plānus; first used to distinguish the geometrical senses formerly belonging to plain1; in def. 5, shortened form of airplane, aeroplane, or hydroplane; (verb, verbal) late Middle English planen (of a bird) to soar (compare Middle French planer); akin to plain1
  • Latin plānum flat surface (noun, nominal use of plānus flat); (adjective, adjectival)
  • 1400–50 for sense "to soar''; 1640–50 for noun, nominal and adjective, adjectival senses; (noun, nominal)
plane′ness, n. 
    4. stratum, stage. 7. smooth, even, flush.
plane2  (plān),USA pronunciation n., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. 
  1. Building[Carpentry.]any of various woodworking instruments for paring, truing, or smoothing, or for forming moldings, chamfers, rabbets, grooves, etc., by means of an inclined, adjustable blade moved along and against the piece being worked.
  2. Buildinga trowellike tool for smoothing the surface of clay in a brick mold.

v.t. 
  1. Buildingto smooth or dress with or as if with a plane or a planer.
  2. Buildingto remove by or as if by means of a plane (usually fol. by away or off).

v.i. 
  1. Buildingto work with a plane.
  2. Buildingto function as a plane.
  • Late Latin plānāre
  • Middle French planer)
  • Late Latin plāna, derivative of plānāre to smooth, itself derivative of Latin plānus plain1; (verb, verbal) Middle English planen (
  • Middle French)
  • (noun, nominal) Middle English (1275–1325

plane3  (plān),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Plant BiologySee plane tree. 
  • Greek plátanos, derivative of platýs broad, flat1 (with reference to the leaves)
  • Latin platanus
  • Middle French
  • Middle English 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
plane /pleɪn/ n
  1. a flat surface in which a straight line joining any two of its points lies entirely on that surface
  2. a flat or level surface
  3. a level of existence, performance, attainment, etc
  4. a wing or supporting surface of an aircraft or hydroplane
 adj
  1. level or flat
  2. (of a curve, figure, etc) lying entirely in one plane
 vb (intransitive)
  1. to fly without moving wings or using engines; glide
  2. (of a boat) to rise partly and skim over the water when moving at a certain speed
Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin plānum level surface
plane /pleɪn/ n
  1. a tool with an adjustable sharpened steel blade set obliquely in a wooden or iron body, for levelling or smoothing timber surfaces, cutting mouldings or grooves, etc
  2. a flat tool, usually metal, for smoothing the surface of clay or plaster in a mould
 vb (transitive)
  1. to level, smooth, or cut (timber, wooden articles, etc) using a plane or similar tool
  2. (often followed by off) to remove using a plane
Etymology: 14th Century: via Old French from Late Latin plāna plane, from plānāre to level
plane /pleɪn/ n
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈplane ˌtree, n. [countable]
  1. Plant Biologya large tree of North America, esp. the sycamore, with broad leaves and bark that peels off easily.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
plane′ tree′, 
  1. Plant Biologyany tree of the genus Platanus, esp. P. occidentalis, the buttonwood or sycamore of North America, having palmately lobed leaves and bark that sheds.
  • late Middle English 1400–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
plane tree, plane n
  1. any tree of the genus Platanus, having ball-shaped heads of fruits and leaves with pointed lobes: family Platanaceae. The hybrid P. × acerifolia (London plane) is frequently planted in towns
Etymology: 14th Century plane, from Old French, from Latin platanus, from Greek platanos, from platos wide, referring to the leaves
'plane' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: [need, use] a plane surface, a [commercial, war, fighter, military, private] plane, a plane engine, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "plane" in the title:

-Travelling by plane sometimes makes me a headache.
'plane strike'
'The plane time forgot' kinda deal.
(air)plane, female. why?
a bomb had been planted on/in the plane
A carer of a child travelling alone on a plane.
a foam plane that mounts in front of
A plane flew over (?) us
A plane has just landed. Which one? Where at?
a plane is departing/taking off/flying away
a plane vs the plane
a ship sails, a car goes, a plane flies?
A small plane crashed into a hill side five miles east of the city
A tire on Trump’s plane developed a flat
admitted to board the plane
afraid of the plane they travel with falls down
After the plane landed / had landed [Past / past perfect]
air plane vs airplane; smart phone vs smartphone
airborne /on board a plane [interchangeable?]
airplane vs aeroplane vs plane
arrive / land (plane)
arrive in/into London (plane)
arrive to Tokyo by plane vs arrive by plane to Tokyo
As our plane was landing/landed
at the time, a plane crashed...
<blown out> of the plane's door
Board a plane
Bring / take down a plane
bring the plane in
Brussels-bound plane
more...

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