aeroplane

== English == === Alternative forms === aëroplane (dated) airplane (US, Canada, Philippines) æroplane (dated, hypercorrect, nonstandard) === Etymology === Borrowed from French aéroplane, from Ancient Greek ἀερόπλανος (aeróplanos, “wandering in air”), from ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”) + πλάνος (plános, “wandering”). First used by Joseph Pline in an 1855 patent.[1];[2] === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): [ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n], dated IPA(key): [ˈeɪ.əɹ-] (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): [ˈɛː.ɹə.plɛjn] (MLE) IPA(key): [ˈɛː.ɹow.plejn], [ˈɛː.ɹow.pleːn] (General Australian) IPA(key): [ˈɛː.ɹ(ə).plɛɪ̯n] (US) IPA(key): /ˈɛɹ.ə.pleɪ̯n/ Hyphenation: ae‧ro‧plane === Noun === aeroplane (plural aeroplanes) (aviation, Commonwealth) Synonym of airplane. A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings. (Commonwealth) Synonym of airplane. A game played when spoon-feeding children. (aeronautics, archaic, obsolete) Synonym of airfoil. An aerodynamic surface. Any of various nymphalid butterflies, of various genera, having a slow gliding flight. Also called planes. ==== Usage notes ==== Aeroplane was the predominant spelling in the US until the 1920s, and is still used idiolectally among some American speakers. Canada officially uses aeroplane, but the spelling airplane has become much more common as a result of US influence. Airplane has also become a usual variant in most other areas, but is considered informal. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Swahili: eropleni → Welsh: eroplen ==== Translations ==== === Verb === aeroplane (third-person singular simple present aeroplanes, present participle aeroplaning, simple past and past participle aeroplaned) (intransitive) To fly in an aeroplane. (transitive) To transport by aeroplane. === See also ===