plane

Meanings

Adjective

• Of a surface: flat or level.

Noun

• A level or flat surface.
• A flat surface extending infinitely in all directions (e.g. horizontal or vertical plane).
• A level of existence or development.
• Any of 17 designated ranges of 2¹⁶ (65,536) sequential code points each.
• A tool for smoothing wood by removing thin layers from the surface.
• An airplane; an aeroplane.
• Any of various nymphalid butterflies, of various genera, having a slow gliding flight.
• The butterfly Bindahara phocides, family Lycaenidae, of Asia and Australasia.
• A deciduous tree of the genus Platanus.
• A sycamore.

Verb

• To smooth (wood) with a plane.
• To move in a way that lifts the bow of a boat out of the water.
• To glide or soar.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• real plane, complex plane
• coronal plane, frontal plane, sagittal plane, transverse plane
• diving plane
• BMP, PUP, SIP, SMP, SPUA, SSP, supplementary plane, TIP

Origin

• From Latin plānum, a noun use of the neuter of plānus. The word was introduced in the 17th century to distinguish the geometrical senses from the other senses of plain. llano, piano, and plain.
• From Middle English plane, plaine, from Anglo-Norman plaine, from Late Latin plāna.
• From Middle English plane, borrowed from Old French plane, from Latin platanus, from Ancient Greek πλάτανος, from πλατύς.