airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈer-ˌplān How to pronounce airplane (audio)
: a powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift

Illustration of airplane

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

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 On Thursday, the Poosh founder posted about the trip, including a shot of baby Rocky’s toes on an airplane. Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Whatever the specific cause of the accident might turn out to be, an event like this simply must not happen on an airplane that leaves one of our factories. Chris Isidore, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Among Maxi's notable moments from the show was a jaw-dropping elimination challenge from the premiere, which tasked the entertainer with jumping out of an airplane from 18,000 feet in an effort to prove their determination to stay on the show. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 By the end of the day, however, both sides were signaling a stunning new detail in what led to the Jan. 5 failure: The possibility that no documents exist at Boeing to explain how the airplane left its factory missing bolts that would have prevented the accident in the first place. Alan Levin, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Some even fly on airplanes before they’re released back in the wild. Jason Gulley Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 There’s no way the residents making those complaints have been around all that time, getting more and more annoyed at the prospect of airplane noise. Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 The Coast Guard also deployed a HC-130 Hercules airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 This tiny fish in the minnow and carp family can produce sounds louder than an airplane taking off as perceived by human ears at a distance of 328 feet, according to a study published February 26 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'airplane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of aeroplane

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airplane was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near airplane

Cite this Entry

“Airplane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airplane. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

airplane

noun
air·​plane ˈa(ə)r-ˌplān How to pronounce airplane (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on airplane

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