plane

comparative planer · superlative planest

1. Of a surface: flat or level.

plural planes

1. A level or flat surface.
2. geometryA flat surface extending infinitely in all directions (e.g. horizontal or vertical plane); a bounded portion thereof.

   Mirrors in the compartments have been canted out of the vertical plane to reduce reflections to the passengers when seated.

   1979 August, Graham Burtenshaw, Michael S. Welch, “O.V.S. Bulleid's SR loco-hauled coaches - 1”, in Railway World, page 396

   1. anatomyAn imaginary plane which divides the body into two portions.
3. A level of existence or development.

   astral plane

   1 more example

   Nettie's stories about her experiences in Africa point out many parallels between the African and American ways of life. Her stories about the African lifestyle and family structure, in particular, point out the sexist and oppressive conditions that women are forced to submit to on a global plane.

   1982 December 4, Catherine Joseph, “Empowered into Enlightenment”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 20, page 8

4. A roughly flat, thin, often moveable structure used to create lateral force by the flow of air or water over its surface, found on aircraft, submarines, etc.
5. UnicodecomputingAny of 17 designated ranges of 2¹⁶ (65,536) sequential code points each.

plural planes

1. countablebusinessA tool for smoothing wood by removing thin layers from the surface.

present singular third person planes · participle present planing · participle past planed · past planed

1. transitivebusinessTo smooth (wood) with a plane.

plural planes · alternative dated 'plane

1. An airplane; an aeroplane.

   on a plane

   2 more examples

   The plane is travelling impossibly slowly – 30km an hour – when it gently noses up and leaves the ground. With air beneath them, the rangy wings seem to gain strength; the fuselage that on the ground seemed flimsy becomes elegant, like a crane vaunting in flight. It seems not to fly, though, so much as float.

   2013 September 6, Tom Cheshire, “Solar-powered travel”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 13, archived from the original on 11 Apr 2023, page 34

   Boeing said it agreed with the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground the 737 Max 9 planes while they are inspected.

   2024 January 8, Paradise Afshar, Elizabeth Wolfe, Gregory Wallace, Pete Muntean, “New details emerge on piece of Alaska Airlines plane that blew off midflight as investigators probe ‘explosive decompression’”, in CNN, archived from the original on 29 Apr 2024

2. biologyAny of various nymphalid butterflies, of various genera, having a slow gliding flight.

   Synonyms: aeroplane

3. biologyThe butterfly Bindahara phocides, family Lycaenidae, of Asia and Australasia.

present singular third person planes · participle present planing · participle past planed · past planed · alternative dated 'plane

1. nauticalTo move in a way that lifts the bow out of the water.
2. To glide or soar.

plural planes

1. countableA deciduous tree of the genus Platanus.
2. Northern UKA sycamore.