Plane

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Plane, n. [F., fr. L. platanus, Gr. , fr. broad; -- so called on account of its broad leaves and spreading form. See Place, and cf. Platane, Plantain the tree.].

 Any tree of the genus Platanus.  [1913 Webster]
" The Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) is a native of Asia. It rises with a straight, smooth, branching stem to a great height, with palmated leaves, and long pendulous peduncles, sustaining several heads of small close-sitting flowers. The seeds are downy, and collected into round, rough, hard balls. The Occidental plane (Platanus occidentalis), which grows to a great height, is a native of North America, where it is popularly called sycamore, buttonwood, and buttonball, names also applied to the California species (Platanus racemosa)."  [1913 Webster]

Plane, a. [L. planus: cf. F. plan. See Plan, a.].

 Without elevations or depressions; even; level; flat; lying in, or constituting, a plane; as, a plane surface.  [1913 Webster]
" In science, this word (instead of plain) is almost exclusively used to designate a flat or level surface."  [1913 Webster]

Plane angle, the angle included between two straight lines in a plane. -- Plane chart, Plane curve. See under Chart and Curve. -- Plane figure, a figure all points of which lie in the same plane. If bounded by straight lines it is a rectilinear plane figure, if by curved lines it is a curvilinear plane figure. -- Plane geometry, that part of geometry which treats of the relations and properties of plane figures. -- Plane problem, a problem which can be solved geometrically by the aid of the right line and circle only. -- Plane sailing (Naut.), the method of computing a ship's place and course on the supposition that the earth's surface is a plane. -- Plane scale (Naut.), a scale for the use of navigators, on which are graduated chords, sines, tangents, secants, rhumbs, geographical miles, etc. -- Plane surveying, surveying in which the curvature of the earth is disregarded; ordinary field and topographical surveying of tracts of moderate extent. -- Plane table, an instrument used for plotting the lines of a survey on paper in the field. -- Plane trigonometry, the branch of trigonometry in which its principles are applied to plane triangles.

Plane, n. [F. plane, L. plana. See Plane, v. & a.].

•  A surface, real or imaginary, in which, if any two points are taken, the straight line which joins them lies wholly in that surface; or a surface, any section of which by a like surface is a straight line; a surface without curvature.  [1913 Webster]
•  An ideal surface, conceived as coinciding with, or containing, some designated astronomical line, circle, or other curve; as, the plane of an orbit; the plane of the ecliptic, or of the equator.  [1913 Webster]
•  A block or plate having a perfectly flat surface, used as a standard of flatness; a surface plate.  [1913 Webster]
•  A tool for smoothing boards or other surfaces of wood, for forming moldings, etc. It consists of a smooth-soled stock, usually of wood, from the under side or face of which projects slightly the steel cutting edge of a chisel, called the iron, which inclines backward, with an apperture in front for the escape of shavings; as, the jack plane; the smoothing plane; the molding plane, etc.  [1913 Webster]

Objective plane (Surv.), the horizontal plane upon which the object which is to be delineated, or whose place is to be determined, is supposed to stand. -- Perspective plane. See Perspective. -- Plane at infinity (Geom.), a plane in which points infinitely distant are conceived as situated. -- Plane iron, the cutting chisel of a joiner's plane. -- Plane of polarization. (Opt.) See Polarization. -- Plane of projection. (a) The plane on which the projection is made, corresponding to the perspective plane in perspective; -- called also principal plane. (b) (Descriptive Geom.) One of the planes to which points are referred for the purpose of determining their relative position in space. -- Plane of refraction or Plane of reflection (Opt.), the plane in which lie both the incident ray and the refracted or reflected ray.

Plane, v. t. [Cf. F. planer, L. planare, fr. planus. See Plane, a., Plain, a., and cf. Planish.].

•  To make smooth; to level; to pare off the inequalities of the surface of, as of a board or other piece of wood, by the use of a plane; as, to plane a plank.  [1913 Webster]
•  To efface or remove.  [1913 Webster]

  "He planed away the names . . . written on his tables."  [1913 Webster]
•  Figuratively, to make plain or smooth.  [1913 Webster]

  "What student came but that you planed her path."  [1913 Webster]

Plane, v. i. 

 Of a boat, to lift more or less out of the water while in motion, after the manner of a hydroplane; to hydroplane.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Plane, n., adj., & v.
--n.
1 a a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie. b an imaginary flat surface through or joining etc. material objects.
2 a level surface.
3 colloq. = AEROPLANE.
4 a flat surface producing lift by the action of air or water over and under it (usu. in comb.: hydroplane).
5 (often foll. by of) a level of attainment, thought, knowledge, etc.
6 a flat thin object such as a tabletop.
--adj.
1 (of a surface etc.) perfectly level.
2 (of an angle, figure, etc.) lying in a plane.
--v.intr.
1 (often foll. by down) travel or glide in an aeroplane.
2 (of a speedboat etc.) skim over water.
3 soar.

Idiom

plane chart a chart on which meridians and parallels of latitude are represented by equidistant straight lines, used in plane sailing. plane polarization a process restricting the vibrations of electromagnetic radiation, esp. light, to one direction. plane sailing
1 the practice of determining a ship's position on the theory that she is moving on a plane.
2 = plain sailing (see PLAIN(1)). plane-table a surveying instrument used for direct plotting in the field, with a circular drawing-board and pivoted alidade.

Plane, n. & v.
--n.
1 a tool consisting of a wooden or metal block with a projecting steel blade, used to smooth a wooden surface by paring shavings from it.
2 a similar tool for smoothing metal.
--v.tr.
1 smooth (wood, metal, etc.) with a plane.
2 (often foll. by away, down) pare (irregularities) with a plane.
3 archaic level (plane the way).

Plane, n. (in full plane-tree) any tree of the genus Platanus often growing to great heights, with maple-like leaves and bark which peels in uneven patches.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L platanus f. Gk platanos f. platus broad

THESAURUS

Plane

aeroplane, aircraft, airliner, airplane, alabaster, amount, aspire, avion, beading plane, become airborne, bench plane, billiard table, block plane, bowling alley, bowling green, caliber, capping plane, claw skyward, compass, core-box plane, cut, dab, dado plane, dead flat, dead level, degree, dovetail plane, downy, drag, dress, dub, earth, edge plane, equalize, esplanade, even, extent, flat, flatland, flatten, flattened, float, floor, flush, fly, fly aloft, flying machine, fore plane, gain altitude, glabrate, glabrescent, glabrous, glass, glide, grade, grease, grooving plane, ground, hang, harrow, heavier-than-air craft, height, homaloid, homaloidal, horizontal, horizontal axis, horizontal fault, horizontal line, horizontal parallax, horizontal plane, horizontal projection, hover, ice, interval, ivory, jack plane, jet plane, jointer, kite, lay, leap, leave the ground, ledge, leiotrichous, level, level line, level plane, lubricate, mahogany, marble, mark, mean sea level, measure, mow, notch, nuance, oil, parterre, pas, peg, period, pitch, plain, planer, planing machine, planish, plaster, plateau, platform, point, poise, prairie, proportion, rabbet plane, range, ratio, reach, reed plane, regular, remove, rolled, round, routing plane, rung, sash plane, satin, scale, scope, scraper plane, scrub plane, sea level, sea of grass, shade, shadow, shave, ship, silk, skate, skid, skim, slide, slip, smooth, smooth down, smooth out, smooth-shaven, smooth-textured, smoothed out, smoothen, smoothened, soar, space, spire, squashed, squashed flat, stair, standard, step, steppe, stint, suave, table, tabloid, tabular, take off, tennis court, terrace, thumb plane, tread, trenching plane, trodden, trodden flat, trying plane, unbroken, uniform, uninterrupted, unrough, unroughened, unruffled, velvet, water level, zoom

ROGET THESAURUS

Plane

Horizontality

N horizontality, flatness, level, plane, stratum, dead level, dead flat, level plane, recumbency, lying down, reclination, decumbence, decumbency, discumbency, proneness, accubation, supination, resupination, prostration, azimuth, plain, floor, platform, bowling green, cricket ground, croquet ground, croquet lawn, billiard table, terrace, estrade, esplanade, parterre, table land, plateau, ledge, butte, mesa (plain), level, spirit level, horizontal, level, even, plane, flat, flat as a billiard table, flat as a bowling green, alluvial, calm, calm as a mill pond, smooth, smooth as glass, recumbent, decumbent, procumbent, accumbent, lying, prone, supine, couchant, jacent, prostrate, recubant, horizontally, on one's back, on all fours, on its beam ends, horizontality, flatness, level, plane, stratum, dead level, dead flat, level plane, recumbency, lying down, reclination, decumbence, decumbency, discumbency, proneness, accubation, supination, resupination, prostration, azimuth, plain, floor, platform, bowling green, cricket ground, croquet ground, croquet lawn, billiard table, terrace, estrade, esplanade, parterre, table land, plateau, ledge, butte, mesa (plain), level, spirit level, horizontal, level, even, plane, flat, flat as a billiard table, flat as a bowling green, alluvial, calm, calm as a mill pond, smooth, smooth as glass, recumbent, decumbent, procumbent, accumbent, lying, prone, supine, couchant, jacent, prostrate, recubant, horizontally, on one's back, on all fours, on its beam ends.

Flatness

N flatness, smoothness, plane, level, plate, platter, table, tablet, slab, flat, plane, even, flush, scutiform, discoid, level, flat as a pancake, flat as a fluke, flat as a flounder, flat as a board, flat as my hand, flatness, smoothness, plane, level, plate, platter, table, tablet, slab, flat, plane, even, flush, scutiform, discoid, level, flat as a pancake, flat as a fluke, flat as a flounder, flat as a board, flat as my hand.

Smoothness

VB smooth, smoothen, plane, file, mow, shave, level, roll, macadamize, polish, burnish, calender, glaze, iron, hot-press, mangle, lubricate.

N smoothness, polish, gloss, lubricity, lubrication, down, velvet, velure, silk, satin, velveteen, velour, velours, velumen, glass, ice, slide, bowling green, asphalt, wood pavement, flagstone, flags, roller, steam roller, lawn roller, rolling pin, rolling mill, sand paper, emery paper, emery cloth, sander, flat iron, sad iron, burnisher, turpentine and beeswax, polish, shoe polish, lapidary, lapidary, lapidarian, smooth, polished, leiodermatous, slick, velutinous, even, level, plane, sleek, glossy, silken, silky, lanate, downy, velvety, glabrous, slippery, glassy, lubricous, oily, soft, unwrinkled, smooth as glass, smooth as ice, smooth as monumental alabaster, smooth as velvet, smooth as oil, slippery as an eel, woolly, smooth as silk, slippery as coonshit on a pump handle, slippery as a greased pig.

Journey

N journey, travel, traveling, wayfaring, campaigning, journey, excursion, expedition, tour, trip, grand tour, circuit, peregrination, discursion, ramble, pilgrimage, hajj, trek, course, ambulation, march, walk, promenade, constitutional, stroll, saunter, tramp, jog trot, turn, stalk, perambulation, noctambulation, noctambulism, somnambulism, outing, ride, drive, airing, jaunt, equitation, horsemanship, riding, manege, ride and tie, basophobia, roving, vagrancy, pererration, marching and countermarching, nomadism, vagabondism, vagabondage, hoboism, gadding, flit, flitting, migration, emigration, immigration, demigration, intermigration, wanderlust, plan, itinerary, guide, handbook, guidebook, road book, Baedeker, Bradshaw, Murray, map, road map, transportation guide, subway map, procession, cavalcade, caravan, file, cortege, column, vehicle, automobile, train, bus, airplane, plane, autobus, omnibus, subway, motorbike, dirt bike, off-road vehicle, van, minivan, motor scooter, trolley, locomotive, legs, feet, pegs, pins, trotters, traveler, depot, railway station, station, traveling, ambulatory, itinerant, peripatetic, roving, rambling, gadding, discursive, vagrant, migratory, monadic, circumforanean, circumforaneous, noctivagrant, mundivagrant, locomotive, wayfaring, wayworn, travel-stained, on foot, on horseback, on Shanks's mare, by the Marrowbone stage: in transitu, en route, Int, come along!.

Ascent

VB ascend, rise, mount, arise, uprise, go up, get up, work one's way up, start up, shoot up, go into orbit, float up, bubble up, aspire, climb, clamber, ramp, scramble, escalade, surmount, shin, shinny, shinney, scale, scale the heights, raise, elevate, go aloft, fly aloft, tower, soar, take off, spring up, pop up, jump up, catapult upwards, explode upwards, hover, spire, plane, swim, float, surge, leap.