1 aeroplane | Definition of aeroplane

aeroplane

noun
aero·​plane | \ ˈer-ə-ˌplān How to pronounce aeroplane (audio) \
plural aeroplanes

Definition of aeroplane

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

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Synonyms for aeroplane

Synonyms

airplane, plane

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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

For its occupants, the aeroplane constitutes the entire universe. The Economist, "China’s grand, gloomy sci-fi is going global," 22 June 2019 Airbus, for example, has delivered just three of 100 aeroplanes ordered by Iran in 2016 for $19bn. The Economist, "American sanctions will make it hard to revive the Iranian nuclear deal," 12 May 2018 Admiral Davidson described how once-obscure rocks controlled by China now bristle with radar arrays and electronic warfare kit and are studded with aeroplane hangars and bunkers. The Economist, "China has put missiles on islands in the South China Sea," 10 May 2018 Firms with the most to lose were the worst hit: the share price for Boeing, an aeroplane-maker and a big exporter to China, fell by nearly 5% on the news before regaining ground. The Economist, "Business this week," 5 Apr. 2018 An aeroplane approaching London City Airport passes the offices of HSBC. Paul J. Davies, WSJ, "The Big Bank Growth Problem: It’s Hard to Move the Needle," 11 June 2018 His opponent in the coming election, Moussa Mustafa Moussa, chose an aeroplane. The Economist, "Egypt’s sham election features two candidates, but no choice," 22 Mar. 2018 The actual time aloft in the third and crowning test that demonstrated his theory that an aeroplane can compete with the sea-bird, was one minute and tweenty-one seconds. sandiegouniontribune.com, "Biplane flies," 27 Jan. 2018 But an aeroplane is simply an aviong, from the Portuguese avião rather than the German Flugzeug. The Economist, "Gialdo alertThe fight to save European dialects in Brazil," 1 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aeroplane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of aeroplane

1868, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for aeroplane

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on aeroplane

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with aeroplane

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for aeroplane

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aeroplane