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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In this case, preparing for war meant shipping designs, sample parts, and airplane prototypes to CanCar’s factory at Fort William late in 1938. Kiona N. Smith, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 In 1952, a case known as United States v. Reynolds went before the Supreme Court, in which the widows of three civilian crew members who were killed in a U.S. military airplane crash sued the government to obtain the accident investigation report. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025 Though debunked many times over the years, chemtrail believers say the white condensation lines left behind by airplanes in the sky are filled with toxic chemicals. Ramishah Maruf, Brandon Miller, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025 There’s one set of rules for commercial airplanes that have between one and nine passenger seats. Eric Ryan, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airplane

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Airplane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airplane. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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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