vane
/veɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [vˈen] /veɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [vˈen] /ˈvān/ (ame, mw)
vane — noun
- vanesingular
- vanesplural
1. Each of the flat pieces arranged around a central hub in machines such as fans a
Each of the flat pieces arranged around a central hub in machines such as fans and windmills. Fluid flowing against these pieces makes the hub spin, converting the motion into useful power.
Keiko saw that one of the ceiling fan vanes was loose and made a clicking sound each time it turned.
ceiling fan vane — loose vane making noise
The windmill's wooden vanes creaked loudly as the strong afternoon breeze pushed them around.
windmill + wooden vanes
Water flowing through the turbine made the vanes spin fast enough to generate electricity for the nearby village.
Diego cleaned the fan vanes with a damp cloth, removing dust that had built up over the summer months.
文法句型
vane + of + [machine]
[machine] + vane
常見錯誤
2. A metal or plastic object, often shaped like a rooster or an arrow, fixed to the
A metal or plastic object, often shaped like a rooster or an arrow, fixed to the top of a building. It turns freely in the wind to show which direction the wind is coming from.
A copper rooster-shaped vane sat on top of the old church, pointing east whenever the wind blew from the west.
rooster-shaped weather vane on a church
Before weather apps existed, farmers relied on the vane on their barn roof to tell them the wind direction.
vane on barn roof — traditional wind indicator
Wei climbed onto the roof to fix the rusty weather vane so it would turn freely again.
The iron weather vane on the town hall had been there for a century, slowly turning orange with rust.
- weathercock
specifically a weather vane shaped like a rooster; more informal and less common
- wind vane
interchangeable with 'weather vane'; 'wind vane' sounds slightly more technical
文法句型
weather vane + on + [building]
vane + shows + [direction]
用法筆記
Often called a 'weather vane' or 'wind vane'. The word 'vane' alone usually refers to this device in everyday contexts. The decorative shape is often a rooster (a 'weathercock').
常見錯誤
❌ 'The vane shows which way the wind blows.' (correct but vague) — More natural: 'The weather vane on the roof shows the wind direction.' — Adding 'weather' makes the meaning clearer to most listeners.
3. The flat, soft part of a bird's feather, made of many thin strands called barbs
The flat, soft part of a bird's feather, made of many thin strands called barbs growing out from the central shaft. It is the part that gives the feather its shape and allows birds to fly.
Mei-Lin examined the blue feather under a magnifying glass and could see the tiny barbs that formed its vane.
examining feather vane under magnifying glass
A parrot preened its feathers carefully, using its beak to zip the vanes back together where they had split apart.
bird preening — zipping vane barbs together
When a feather loses its vane structure, the bird cannot fly as well because air passes straight through the gaps.
Sofia noticed the owl had a soft feather vane that helped it fly without making any sound.
文法句型
vane + of + the + feather
feather + vane
用法筆記
Technical term used mainly in biology and ornithology. In everyday English, people say 'the flat part of the feather' instead of 'the vane'.
4. A stabilizing piece, made of feather or plastic, at the rear of an arrow or miss
A stabilizing piece, made of feather or plastic, at the rear of an arrow or missile. It prevents the projectile from wobbling as it flies through the air.
Kwame checked the vanes on each arrow before the competition, making sure none of them were bent or broken.
checking arrow vanes before competition
Modern arrows often use plastic vanes instead of turkey feathers because plastic lasts much longer in wet weather.
plastic vs feather vanes — durability comparison
Hassan glued a new red vane onto the end of the arrow carefully aligning it with the other two vanes.
The fins on the missile were not just decoration — each vane helped keep the weapon stable during flight.
- fletching
refers to the entire set of vanes on an arrow, not one individual vane; also the name of the action of attaching vanes
- flight feather
used when the vane is made from a real bird feather; slightly more specific
- fin
more common for missiles and bombs; 'fin' sounds more modern, 'vane' sounds traditional
文法句型
[arrow/missile] + vane
vane + on + [arrow/missile]
用法筆記
In archery, 'fletching' is the common term for all the vanes on an arrow together. 'Vane' refers to one individual fin or feather. In military contexts, 'fin' is more common than 'vane'.