aeroplane

• aëroplane (dated)
• airplane (US, Canada, Philippines)
• æroplane (nonstandard, dated)

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.;

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛə.ɹə.pleɪn/

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aeroplane (plural aeroplanes)

1. (aviation, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Singapore, Canada) Synonym of airplane. A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings.
2. (aeronautics, archaic, obsolete) Synonym of airfoil. An aerodynamic surface.
3. Any of various nymphalid butterflies, of various genera, having a slow gliding flight. Also called planes.

• 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.

aeroplane (third-person singular simple present aeroplanes, present participle aeroplaning, simple past and past participle aeroplaned)

1. (intransitive) To fly in an aeroplane.
2. (transitive) To transport by aeroplane.
   • 1919, The American Angler, volume 4, page 221:

     The rod was discarded, and then, hand over hand, the prize of them all was aeroplaned to the top of the cliff.