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
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
Daily Briefing, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
From sightseeing to sitting on a plane, these are the wool socks that impressed us most with a high-quality feel and comfortable fit.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2025
Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 17 July 2025
Our ruling The Republican Party of Juneau County claimed on Facebook that planes full of unvetted refugees were being accepted to the Milwaukee and Madison airports.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for plane
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In 1943: Operation Gomorrah began as British and U.S. planes bombed the city of Hamburg, Germany, day and night.
—Daily Briefing, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
From sightseeing to sitting on a plane, these are the wool socks that impressed us most with a high-quality feel and comfortable fit.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2025
Verb
At that time, one of his attorneys told News Channel 5 that Moreland planed to take a job outside of the legal profession, following his 2019 disbarment, and stay out of the public eye.
—Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 17 July 2025
Our ruling The Republican Party of Juneau County claimed on Facebook that planes full of unvetted refugees were being accepted to the Milwaukee and Madison airports.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for plane
Cite this Entry
“Plane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plane. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share