plane

UK: /ˈpleɪn/ US: /pleɪn/ ,(plān)

Inflections of 'plane' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

planes

v 3rd person singular

planing

v pres p

planed

v past

planed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

plane¹ /pleɪn/   n., adj., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. a flat or level surface.
2. Fine Art an area of a two-dimensional surface:
   The tools can only be moved along one plane.
3. a level of dignity or character:
   The candidates kept the debate on a high plane.
4. an airplane.

adj. 

5. flat or level, as a surface.
6. Mathematics of or relating to two-dimensional figures.

v. [no object]

7. to glide or soar.
8. Informal Terms to fly or travel in an airplane.

plane² /pleɪn/   n., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. Building a woodworking instrument for cutting or smoothing wood by means of a tilted, adjustable blade.

v. [~ + object]

2. Building to smooth with or as if with a plane.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

plane¹  (plān), n., adj., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. 

1. a flat or level surface.
2. Mathematics [Geom.] a surface generated by a straight line moving at a constant velocity with respect to a fixed point.
3. Fine Art an area of a two-dimensional surface having determinate extension and spatial direction or position:
   oblique plane; horizontal plane.
4. a level of dignity, character, existence, development, or the like:
   a high moral plane.
5. Aeronautics
   • an airplane or a hydroplane:
     to take a plane to Dallas.
   • a thin, flat or curved, extended section of an airplane or a hydroplane, affording a supporting surface.
6. Architecture a longitudinal section through the axis of a column.

adj. 

7. flat or level, as a surface.
8. Mathematics of or pertaining to planes or plane figures.

v.i. 

9. to glide or soar.
10. Nautical, Naval Terms (of a boat) to rise partly out of the water when moving at high speed.
11. Informal Terms to fly or travel in an airplane:
    We'll drive to Detroit and plane to Los Angeles.

• Latin plānus; first used to distinguish the geometrical senses formerly belonging to plain¹; in def. 5, shortened form of airplane, aeroplane, or hydroplane; (verb, verbal) late Middle English planen (of a bird) to soar (compare Middle French planer); akin to plain¹
• Latin plānum flat surface (noun, nominal use of plānus flat); (adjective, adjectival)
• 1400–50 for sense "to soar''; 1640–50 for noun, nominal and adjective, adjectival senses; (noun, nominal)

plane′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 4. stratum, stage.
• 7. smooth, even, flush.

plane²  (plān), n., v., planed, plan•ing. 
n. 

1. Building [Carpentry.] any of various woodworking instruments for paring, truing, or smoothing, or for forming moldings, chamfers, rabbets, grooves, etc., by means of an inclined, adjustable blade moved along and against the piece being worked.
2. Building a trowellike tool for smoothing the surface of clay in a brick mold.

v.t. 

3. Building to smooth or dress with or as if with a plane or a planer.
4. Building to remove by or as if by means of a plane (usually fol. by away or off).

v.i. 

5. Building to work with a plane.
6. Building to function as a plane.

• Late Latin plānāre
• Middle French planer)
• Late Latin plāna, derivative of plānāre to smooth, itself derivative of Latin plānus plain¹; (verb, verbal) Middle English planen (
• Middle French)
• (noun, nominal) Middle English (1275–1325

plane³  (plān), n. 

1. Plant Biology See plane tree. 

• Greek plátanos, derivative of platýs broad, flat¹ (with reference to the leaves)
• Latin platanus
• Middle French
• Middle English 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

plane / pleɪn/ noun

1. a flat surface in which a straight line joining any two of its points lies entirely on that surface
2. a flat or level surface
3. a level of existence, performance, attainment, etc
4. short for aeroplane
5. a wing or supporting surface of an aircraft or hydroplane

adjective

1. level or flat
2. (of a curve, figure, etc) lying entirely in one plane

verb (intransitive)

1. to fly without moving wings or using engines; glide
2. (of a boat) to rise partly and skim over the water when moving at a certain speed

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin plānum level surface

plane / pleɪn/ noun

1. a tool with an adjustable sharpened steel blade set obliquely in a wooden or iron body, for levelling or smoothing timber surfaces, cutting mouldings or grooves, etc
2. a flat tool, usually metal, for smoothing the surface of clay or plaster in a mould

verb (transitive)

1. to level, smooth, or cut (timber, wooden articles, etc) using a plane or similar tool
2. (often followed by off) to remove using a plane

Etymology: 14th Century: via Old French from Late Latin plāna plane, from plānāre to level

plane / pleɪn/ noun

1. See plane tree

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ˈplane ˌtree, n. [countable]

1. Plant Biology a large tree of North America, esp. the sycamore, with broad leaves and bark that peels off easily.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

plane′ tree′, 

1. Plant Biology any tree of the genus Platanus, esp. P. occidentalis, the buttonwood or sycamore of North America, having palmately lobed leaves and bark that sheds.

• late Middle English 1400–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

plane tree, plane noun

1. any tree of the genus Platanus, having ball-shaped heads of fruits and leaves with pointed lobes: family Platanaceae. The hybrid P. × acerifolia (London plane) is frequently planted in towns

Etymology: 14th Century plane, from Old French, from Latin platanus, from Greek platanos, from platos wide, referring to the leaves