Illustration of plane
- 3plane
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
planed; planing
1
a
: to make smooth or even : level
b
: to make smooth or even by use of a plane
2
: to remove by or as if by planing
—often used with away or off
planer
noun
: 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
planed; planing
1
a
: to fly while keeping the wings motionless
b
: to skim across the surface of the water
2
: to travel by airplane
Synonyms of plane
Examples of plane in a Sentence
Noun (1)
a plane flew overhead
Verb (1)
planed the wood for the picnic table perfectly smooth so that no one would get splinters
Verb (2)
an eagle planed effortlessly overhead, gliding on an air current
Adjective
you can do these tracings on any plane surface
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Kenning, USA Today, 21 May 2026
Reports from the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights disagreed, concluding the Brothers to the Rescue planes were still in international airspace when they were shot down.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Several countries have refused to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who are both wanted on ICC warrants, and Italy declined to hand over a Libyan warlord last year, returning him on a state plane to Tripoli instead.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
When identity events live in one system, endpoint telemetry in another, cloud control plane logs somewhere else and SaaS activity in a fourth, and none of these share a schema or a common understanding of what entities mean across systems, adding a chatbot on top doesn't fix that.
—Aqsa Taylor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for plane
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Noun
Cuban air force MiG fighter jets shot down two planes.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 21 May 2026
Reports from the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights disagreed, concluding the Brothers to the Rescue planes were still in international airspace when they were shot down.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Several countries have refused to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who are both wanted on ICC warrants, and Italy declined to hand over a Libyan warlord last year, returning him on a state plane to Tripoli instead.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
When identity events live in one system, endpoint telemetry in another, cloud control plane logs somewhere else and SaaS activity in a fourth, and none of these share a schema or a common understanding of what entities mean across systems, adding a chatbot on top doesn't fix that.
—Aqsa Taylor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for plane
Cite this Entry
“Plane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plane. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plane
1 of 5 verb
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 noun1
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 adjective1
: 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
noun1
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
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationLove words? Need even more definitions?
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