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(), 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.] (Bot.) Any tree of the genus Platanus. 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). 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. In science, this word (instead of plain) is almost exclusively used to designate a flat or level surface. 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, si Plane n.[F. plane, L. plana. See Plane, v. & a.] 1. (Geom.) 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. 2. (Astron.) 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. 3. (Mech.) A block or plate having a perfectly flat surface, used as a standard of flatness; a surface plate. 4. (Joinery) 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. Ob Plane v. t.[imp. & p. p.Planed (); p. pr. & vb. n.Planing.] [Cf. F. planer, L. planare, fr. planus. See Plane, a., Plain, a., and cf. Planish.] 1. 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. 2. To efface or remove. He planed away the names . . . written on his tables. Chaucer. 3. Figuratively, to make plain or smooth. [R.] What student came but that you planed her path. Tennyson. 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. スポンサード リンク
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