Plane Definition: Usage, Meaning, and Examples

To make sure that you completely understand the meaning of plane and can use it freely, read these sentences with multiple instances:

How do you spell “plane” if you need another word for it? Actually, there are a few words you can use instead of airplane to describe the same meaning:

Related nouns: airplane flight airline

Synonyms (contextual): jet aircraft airplane airliner

Common collocations: board a plane fly a plane a plane engine a plane seat

To define plane comprehensively, we included the most popular collocations with different parts of speech that will make it easier for you to speak about topics:

With adjectives: a private plane a small plane a large plane a military plane

With verbs: fly a plane pilot a plane design a plane take off in a plane land a plane

With nouns (noun + noun): a plane ticket a plane pilot plane wings a plane seat

A plane is not always a plane. In some sayings, it can mean something else, for instance, an opportunity or meeting of minds. Keep reading to be aware of popular idioms with examples, so you can learn how to use them:

• On the same plane — refers to having the same level of understanding and importance of a problem or another matter.

    We should be on the same plane if we want to have a big and happy family.

• To miss a plane — means to lose a good opportunity. However, this phrase can be used both directly and indirectly.

    Let’s just move on to another project. We missed our plane when we decided to save some time.

• Building the plane while flying it — a concept that can be applied in a business context when a company strategizes and executes a project at the same time, rather than preparing everything in advance.

    We don’t have time to think about our options. The one way is to build the plane while flying it.

Now, when you’ve learned the plane definition and discovered some synonyms and related phrases, we invite you to check your understanding with our practical exercises:

You know how to say plane in English, and we offer you some more variations in the most spoken European languages to compare their spelling:

Although the history of planes is relatively short (the first controlled airplane was created in 1903), the industry has developed so rapidly that many fascinating events have happened over the years. Prepare to be astonished:

• Lightning sometimes struck planes.

  Is it dangerous? Fortunately, engineers took into account that such things can have a place, so planes are designed so they can withstand it. Events like this occur at least once a year.

• The longest flight without refueling lasted 9 days.

  Guinness World Records fixed a case on 23 December 1986. The crew flew around the world and covered a distance of 24,984 miles without refueling the plane. The record breakers were Richard G. Dick Gutan and Jeana Yeager.

• There is a reason why most planes are white.

  It would be cool for planes to be any possible color, but most commercial airplanes remain white. Why? Because they need to be protected from the sun, and, surely, it is much easier to maintain planes and spot damage.

• You can find a small hole in the window, and it has its purpose.

  If you see a tiny hole in the window, it doesn’t mean that you are in danger. The construction is so complex and well-thought-out that even such a detail plays its crucial role. It is called a breather and is very important in regulating air pressure.

Writers, pilots, and philosophers have said a lot about planes, as they are our stairways to heaven. They compared jets with skills, highlighted their importance, and gave analogies to encourage people to fulfil their dreams. Let’s not delay any longer — discover great thinkers’ thoughts by reading further:

— Kraig D.Lounsbrough

Explanation: Life is not simple. Kraig D. Lounsbrough says that even if you have a talent, you need to apply it wisely. Otherwise, you won’t benefit from all the advantages it provides.

— Henry Ford

Explanation: One of the most famous industrial figures of the 20th century reminded people that things don’t come easily into our hands. And even if we think that the entire world is against us, we don’t need to give up.

— Otto Lilienthal

Explanation: The pioneer of aviation once said that ideation and crafting are not as significant as reaching the sky. That’s where the true magic unfolds.