PLANE


Meaning of PLANE in English

plane 1

— planeness , n.

/playn/ , n., adj., v., planed, planing .

n.

1. a flat or level surface.

2. Geom. a surface generated by a straight line moving at a constant velocity with respect to a fixed point.

3. Fine Arts. 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. Aeron.

a. an airplane or a hydroplane: to take a plane to Dallas.

b. a thin, flat or curved, extended section of an airplane or a hydroplane, affording a supporting surface.

6. Archit. a longitudinal section through the axis of a column.

adj.

7. flat or level, as a surface.

8. of or pertaining to planes or plane figures.

v.i.

9. to glide or soar.

10. (of a boat) to rise partly out of the water when moving at high speed.

11. Informal. to fly or travel in an airplane: We'll drive to Detroit and plane to Los Angeles.

[ 1400-50 for sense "to soar"; 1640-50 for n. and adj. senses; (n.) planum flat surface (n. use of planus flat); (adj.) planus; first used to distinguish the geometrical senses formerly belonging to PLAIN 1 ; in def. 5, shortened form of AIRPLANE, AEROPLANE, or HYDROPLANE; (v.) late ME planen (of a bird) to soar (cf. MF planer ); akin to PLAIN 1 ]

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

plane 2

/playn/ , n. , v. , planed, planing .

n.

1. 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. a trowellike tool for smoothing the surface of clay in a brick mold.

v.t.

3. to smooth or dress with or as if with a plane or a planer.

4. to remove by or as if by means of a plane (usually fol. by away or off ).

v.i.

5. to work with a plane.

6. to function as a plane.

[ 1275-1325; (n.) ME ( plana, deriv. of planare to smooth, itself deriv. of L planus PLAIN 1 ; (v.) ME planen ( planer ) planare ]

plane 3

/playn/ , n.

See plane tree .

[ 1350-1400; ME platanus plátanos, deriv. of platýs broad, FLAT 1 (with reference to the leaves) ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .