aeroplane

noun

aero·​plane ˈer-ə-ˌplān How to pronounce aeroplane (audio)
plural aeroplanes
British
: airplane
One day it may be possible to devise a way of keeping birds away from aeroplanes, although for the moment the best approach seems to be to keep aeroplanes away from birds.Nature
A special airmail flight will be made on 6 August 1989 to commemorate the first aeroplane crossing of a major body of water in Australia by Captain Harry Butler.Australian Stamp Bulletin

Examples of aeroplane in a Sentence

an exhibit of a few of the aeroplanes that won the Battle of Britain
Recent Examples on the Web Will Boeing continue to produce and design great aeroplanes, well-put together, reliable, for the customer base? Hanna Ziady, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 Indian airlines are already placing orders for record numbers of aeroplanes. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2023 On an aeroplane; all things Are brought into their deep relativity People. Jonathan Michael Majors, The New Republic, 29 Dec. 2022 The aviation industry, however, worries about interference with crucial aircraft instruments like altimeters, which measure how far above the ground an aeroplane is travelling. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 18 Jan. 2022 Added to this are rapid-fire guns and a constant lookout from the ship and from aeroplane scouts. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 8 Apr. 2021 Chris Adamson remembers being sent out to local hardware shops to find brooms of various bristle strengths, and asked to track down a specific kind of elastic used to power the propeller of a model aeroplane. Tom Maxwell, Longreads, 3 Sep. 2020 An average aeroplane, weighing 1,000 lb., will oppose not more than 25 sq. Victor Lougheed, Popular Mechanics, 13 Aug. 2020 Yet the problem of the aeroplane is inherently complex. Victor Lougheed, Popular Mechanics, 13 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aeroplane.' 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

borrowed from French aéroplane, from aéro- aero- + -plane, probably from feminine of plan "flat, level," borrowed from Latin plānus — more at floor entry 1

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aeroplane was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near aeroplane

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

aeroplane

aero·​plane ˈar-ə-ˌplān How to pronounce aeroplane (audio)
ˈer-

chiefly British variant of airplane

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