vane

plural vanes

1. A weather vane.
2. Any of several usually relatively thin, rigid, flat, or sometimes curved surfaces radially mounted along an axis, as a blade in a turbine or a sail on a windmill, that is turned by or used to turn a fluid.
3. biologyThe flattened, web-like part of a feather, consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft.

   Synonyms: vexillum

4. navigationA sight on a sextant or compass.
5. engineeringOne of the metal guidance or stabilizing fins attached to the tail of a bomb or other missile.

   Synonyms: fin

plural Vanes

1. A surname.
2. A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

   William and Lisa Hurst (Metzel), Burlington, boy, Vane McCord, March 28.

   2001 March 31, “[Births] Memorial Hospital of Burlington”, in The Journal Times, Racine, Wis., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3B, column 3

   3 more examples

   If it had not been for George’s early walk, and for the arrival of the red motorcar, she and Annira, and their father, and Alastair, and Uncle Edward Erskine (the Dean of Camford), and his daughter Vane would at this moment have been gaily bidding one another “Good morning” at the breakfast table.

   1914 June 7, C[harles] N[orris] Williamson, A[lice] M[uriel] Williamson, “The Screen”, in The Sunday Star, number 479 (19,611 overall), Washington, D.C., →ISSN, →OCLC, part 3 (Sunday Magazine of The Sunday Star), chapter VII, page 10, column 3

   Her company, all English, will include Edmund Gwenn, C. M. Hallard, Herbert Marshall and Vane Featherston.

   1922 January 29, “The Week’s Plays”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   Vane V. Shook, fireman, Lansing, Mich., and Esther M. Messner, domestic, Edon, Ohio.

   1926 November 9, “Marriage Licenses”, in Cass Cullis, editor, The Bryan Democrat, 63rd year, number 55, Bryan, Oh.: Democrat Publishing Company, →OCLC, front page, column 6