a power tool for smoothing or shaping wood
"He used the plane to shave off the rough splinters before sanding the table leg."
a carpenter's hand tool with an adjustable blade for smoothing or shaping wood
"the cabinetmaker used a plane for the finish work"
A level or flat surface.
"The old plane by the sidewalk dropped large, fuzzy balls onto our driveway in late summer."
A tool for smoothing wood by removing thin layers from the surface.
An airplane; an aeroplane.
A deciduous tree of the genus Platanus.
In plain English: A plane is a flat surface that goes on forever without any curves or bumps.
"She wants to fly in a plane to visit her grandparents."
Usage: Use "plane" to refer to a large, fast-growing deciduous tree known for its distinctive broad leaves and peeling bark that reveals silvery patches. Do not use this word when describing an aircraft or the geometric shape unless specifically referring to the tree in a botanical context.
To smooth (wood) with a plane.
"The surging wave caused the small fishing plane to lift its bow clear out of the churning sea."
To move in a way that lifts the bow of a boat out of the water.
In plain English: To plane something means to smooth out its surface by scraping it with a tool.
"I plan to visit my grandmother this weekend."
Usage: To plane a boat means to steer it so the front rises above the surface while traveling at speed. Use this verb specifically for boats creating a wake rather than cutting through water flatly.
Of a surface: flat or level.
"The carpenter sanded the table until its surface was perfectly plane for painting."
In plain English: Plane means flat and smooth, like a tabletop with no bumps or curves.
"The plane ticket cost more than we expected."
Usage: Use "plane" as an adjective to describe a surface that is perfectly flat and even, without any bumps or curves. Avoid using it to mean simple or basic, as that is not its standard everyday usage.
The word "plane" comes from the Latin plānum, meaning "flat surface." It entered English in the 17th century specifically to describe a flat geometric shape.