plane
/pleɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /pleɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈplān/ (ame, mw)
plane — noun
1. a machine that flies through the air, with wings on the sides and engines that p
a machine that flies through the air, with wings on the sides and engines that push it forward; the everyday short word for an airplane.
Maya watched a small plane circle above the harbour before landing.
The Ito family flew to Okinawa by plane for the summer holidays.
collocation: travel by plane
Marcus fell asleep on the plane and missed the meal service.
Heavy snow at the airport delayed every plane leaving for Tokyo.
Lina was so excited that she ran to the window to see the plane take off.
文法句型
by plane
on a plane
用法筆記
More informal than 'aircraft' and shorter than the full word 'airplane' (US) or 'aeroplane' (UK). Travellers usually say 'by plane' (no article) when describing the means of travel, but 'on the plane' when talking about being inside one.
常見錯誤
2. in geometry, a perfectly flat surface that has length and width but no thickness
in geometry, a perfectly flat surface that has length and width but no thickness, and that stretches out endlessly in every direction.
Mr. Chen drew two crossing planes on the whiteboard to show how they meet in a line.
math context: two planes meeting
Mr. Tanaka asked his class to mark three points on the board and draw the plane that passes through them.
math context: three points define a plane
The architect rotated the model so that the roof lay parallel to the horizontal plane.
In the diagram, the arrow points outwards from the plane of the page.
- curve
a curved shape rather than a flat surface
文法句型
a plane of [noun]
用法筆記
Mostly used in mathematics, physics and engineering. Distinguish from sense 3 (a metaphorical 'level'): this sense names a real or imagined geometric surface; sense 3 names a stage or rank.
3. one specific level among many on which thought, feeling, or existence can take p
one specific level among many on which thought, feeling, or existence can take place, often pictured as higher or lower than another.
After months of meditation, the monk said he felt he was living on a calmer plane.
phrase: on a [adj] plane
Reading great novels can lift the mind to a higher plane of thought.
collocation: a higher plane of [noun]
As a chess player, Magnus operates on a completely different plane from his rivals.
The two writers debated politics on an intellectual plane, never raising their voices.
文法句型
on a [adj] plane
on a different plane
用法筆記
Often appears with adjectives such as 'higher', 'different', 'spiritual', 'intellectual', 'moral'. Distinguish from sense 2 (geometry): no real surface is involved here, only a metaphorical level.
常見錯誤
4. a hand tool that a carpenter pushes along a piece of wood to shave off thin curl
a hand tool that a carpenter pushes along a piece of wood to shave off thin curls and leave the surface smooth and even.
Grandpa kept his old wooden plane on a shelf above the workbench in the garage.
Marcus picked up the plane and ran it gently along the rough edge of the door.
verb pairing: run a plane along [wood]
A sharp plane peels off paper-thin shavings that curl away from the blade.
The carpentry teacher showed the class how to set the blade of a plane correctly.
- smoothing tool
general descriptive term; 'plane' is the standard name
用法筆記
Refers to the tool only; the action of using it is the verb 'plane' (verb sense 1). Includes both the small hand plane and larger workshop versions.
5. a tall city tree with broad, hand-shaped leaves and bark that flakes off in patc
a tall city tree with broad, hand-shaped leaves and bark that flakes off in patches; very often planted along streets and squares, especially in London.
Rows of old planes lined the avenue, casting cool shade over the cafe tables.
In autumn the planes in the square dropped huge yellow leaves onto the pavement.
The London plane is famous for surviving smoke and pollution in busy cities.
Sarah pointed at the patchy bark of a plane tree and asked what kind it was.
- plane tree
the full compound, used to avoid confusion with sense 1
- sycamore
American English name for related trees in the same family
文法句型
a plane tree
London plane
用法筆記
Often called a 'plane tree' in full to avoid confusion with the aircraft sense. Most familiar in British English; American English speakers more often say 'sycamore' for similar trees.
plane — verb
1. to shave thin curls off a piece of wood using a sharp carpenter's tool, so that
to shave thin curls off a piece of wood using a sharp carpenter's tool, so that its surface becomes flat, smooth, or the size you want.
Marcus carefully planed the new shelf until it slid neatly into the bookcase.
The carpenter planed the bottom of the door so it no longer scraped the floor.
transitive: plane + concrete object
Lina helped her father plane down the rough edges of the homemade picnic table.
If you plane off too much wood, the lid will no longer cover the box properly.
文法句型
plane sth
plane sth down
plane sth off
用法筆記
Always takes a wooden object (or sometimes a similar soft material). Frequently combined with 'down' (to make thinner overall) or 'off' (to remove a specific part).
常見錯誤
plane — adjective
1. perfectly flat, with every point at the same level, used especially in maths and
perfectly flat, with every point at the same level, used especially in maths and technical descriptions of shapes and surfaces.
Plane geometry deals with shapes such as triangles and circles drawn on a flat surface.
compound: plane geometry
The mirror inside the telescope must have a perfectly plane surface to work well.
collocation: plane surface
In her physics class, Sarah learned about waves travelling along a plane boundary.
The engineer checked that every plane face of the metal block met at a right angle.
文法句型
plane + noun
用法筆記
Almost always sits before a noun ('a plane surface', 'plane geometry') and rarely after a verb. In everyday speech, prefer the everyday word 'flat'; keep 'plane' for technical or mathematical contexts.