plane

plane — noun

1. a machine that flies through the air, with wings on the sides and engines that p

1.nounA1
Definition

a machine that flies through the air, with wings on the sides and engines that push it forward; the everyday short word for an airplane.

Example

Maya watched a small plane circle above the harbour before landing.

The Ito family flew to Okinawa by plane for the summer holidays.

collocation: travel by plane

Common collocations
  • board a plane
  • miss the plane
  • catch a plane
  • the plane takes off
  • the plane lands
  • a private plane
Synonyms
  • airplane

    the full American English form; 'plane' is more conversational

  • aeroplane

    British English equivalent of 'airplane', also more formal

  • aircraft

    covers all flying machines, including helicopters and gliders; more formal/technical

  • jet

    specifically a plane powered by jet engines, often suggesting speed

Grammar Patterns

by plane

on a plane

Usage Note

More informal than 'aircraft' and shorter than the full word 'airplane' (US) or 'aeroplane' (UK). Travellers usually say 'by plane' (no article) when describing the means of travel, but 'on the plane' when talking about being inside one.

Common Mistakes

I went to Paris with the plane.
I went to Paris by plane.
use 'by + plane' (no article) for the means of travel.

2. in geometry, a perfectly flat surface that has length and width but no thickness

2.nounB2
Definition

in geometry, a perfectly flat surface that has length and width but no thickness, and that stretches out endlessly in every direction.

Example

Mr. Chen drew two crossing planes on the whiteboard to show how they meet in a line.

math context: two planes meeting

Mr. Tanaka asked his class to mark three points on the board and draw the plane that passes through them.

math context: three points define a plane

Common collocations
  • horizontal plane
  • vertical plane
  • inclined plane
  • the plane of [a shape]
  • lie on a plane
Synonyms
  • surface

    broader and everyday; 'plane' is the technical word for a perfectly flat one

  • flat

    rare as a noun; usually adjective in this meaning

Antonyms
  • curve

    a curved shape rather than a flat surface

Grammar Patterns

a plane of [noun]

Usage Note

Mostly used in mathematics, physics and engineering. Distinguish from sense 3 (a metaphorical 'level'): this sense names a real or imagined geometric surface; sense 3 names a stage or rank.

3. one specific level among many on which thought, feeling, or existence can take p

3.nounC1
Definition

one specific level among many on which thought, feeling, or existence can take place, often pictured as higher or lower than another.

Example

After months of meditation, the monk said he felt he was living on a calmer plane.

phrase: on a [adj] plane

Reading great novels can lift the mind to a higher plane of thought.

collocation: a higher plane of [noun]

Common collocations
  • on a higher plane
  • on a different plane
  • a spiritual plane
  • an intellectual plane
  • a moral plane
Synonyms
  • level

    the everyday word; 'plane' sounds more literary or philosophical

  • stage

    suggests a step in a process; 'plane' suggests a fixed level of being

Grammar Patterns

on a [adj] plane

on a different plane

Usage Note

Often appears with adjectives such as 'higher', 'different', 'spiritual', 'intellectual', 'moral'. Distinguish from sense 2 (geometry): no real surface is involved here, only a metaphorical level.

Common Mistakes

She thinks in a higher plane than her classmates.
She thinks on a higher plane than her classmates.
use the preposition 'on', not 'in', with this sense.

4. a hand tool that a carpenter pushes along a piece of wood to shave off thin curl

4.nounC1
Definition

a hand tool that a carpenter pushes along a piece of wood to shave off thin curls and leave the surface smooth and even.

Example

Grandpa kept his old wooden plane on a shelf above the workbench in the garage.

Marcus picked up the plane and ran it gently along the rough edge of the door.

verb pairing: run a plane along [wood]

Common collocations
  • a wooden plane
  • a hand plane
  • the blade of a plane
  • use a plane
  • sharpen a plane
Synonyms

Usage Note

Refers to the tool only; the action of using it is the verb 'plane' (verb sense 1). Includes both the small hand plane and larger workshop versions.

5. a tall city tree with broad, hand-shaped leaves and bark that flakes off in patc

5.nounC2
Definition

a tall city tree with broad, hand-shaped leaves and bark that flakes off in patches; very often planted along streets and squares, especially in London.

Example

Rows of old planes lined the avenue, casting cool shade over the cafe tables.

In autumn the planes in the square dropped huge yellow leaves onto the pavement.

Common collocations
  • a plane tree
  • London plane
  • the bark of a plane
  • an avenue of planes
Synonyms
  • plane tree

    the full compound, used to avoid confusion with sense 1

  • sycamore

    American English name for related trees in the same family

Grammar Patterns

a plane tree

London plane

Usage Note

Often called a 'plane tree' in full to avoid confusion with the aircraft sense. Most familiar in British English; American English speakers more often say 'sycamore' for similar trees.

plane — verb

plane — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words name flying machines, but they differ in register and scope. 'Plane' is the everyday short word that learners and native speakers use most in conversation: 'Did you catch your plane?'. 'Airplane' is the full American English form, slightly more formal in writing; 'aeroplane' is the British equivalent and now sounds a little old-fashioned even in the UK. 'Aircraft' is the umbrella term used in news reports, safety briefings and technical writing — it covers helicopters and gliders too, not only winged planes. 'Jet' specifies how the plane is powered and often suggests speed or luxury: 'a private jet to Dubai'. So a learner can say 'I took a plane / a jet to Tokyo' but should say 'three aircraft were grounded' in a news headline.

plane ↗airplane ↗aeroplane ↗aircraft ↗jet ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • plane ticket
  • plane crash
  • plane journey
  • plane geometry
  • plane surface
  • plane tree

Adverbs

Phrases

  • catch a plane
  • miss the plane
  • board a plane
  • the plane takes off
  • the plane lands

Prepositions

  • by plane
  • on a plane
  • off the plane
  • on a higher plane
  • on a different plane

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The geometric and woodworking senses come from Latin 'planus' meaning flat, which entered English through Old French in the late Middle Ages. The adjective and the noun for a flat surface kept this older form. The aircraft sense is much younger: it was clipped at the start of the twentieth century from 'aeroplane' (literally 'air' + 'flat surface'), itself a coinage of the early flying era. The tree name comes by a separate route, from Greek 'platanos', a tree with broad leaves, which travelled through Latin and French into English. Three different paths, all converging on the same short modern word.