airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈer-ˌplān 

: a powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift

Illustration of airplane

• 1 weather radar
• 2 cockpit
• 3 jet engine
• 4 engine pod
• 5 pylon
• 6 wing
• 7 vertical stabilizer
• 8 rudder
• 9 10 tabs
• 11 elevator
• 12 horizontal stabilizer
• 13 inboard flap
• 14 inboard spoiler
• 15 16 tabs
• 17 aileron
• 18 outboard flap
• 19 outboard spoiler
• 20 sound suppressor
• 21 thrust reverser
• 22 cabin air intake
• 23 fuselage
• 24 nose landing gear

Synonyms

• aeroplane [chiefly British]
• plane

Examples of airplane in a Sentence

my uncle learned how to fly an airplane while serving in the air force

Recent Examples on the Web

While stowaways have previously used wheel wells of airplanes to sneak onto flights, authorities and airline officials have not given a reason for why the person was found there. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024

United Airlines An American Airlines airplane passes behind a United Airlines airplane at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 28, 2024. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2024

Seven years ago, Garrett, then head coach of the Cowboys, found himself on an airplane with Sanders as both were returning to Dallas from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. —Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024

During the flight, temperatures outside an airplane can drop dramatically, reaching as low as 75 or 80 degrees below zero, which isn’t conducive to blood flow. —Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of aeroplane

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing airplane

• airplane mode

Kids Definition

airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈa(ə)r-ˌplān 

ˈe(ə)r-

: a fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft that is driven by a propeller or by a forceful stream of gases backward and is supported by the reaction of the air against its wings