Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “biplane” come from?

Biplane comes from English bi- (from Latin duo, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning "two") combined with plane (from Latin planum, from Ancient Greek πλάνος, from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂-).

biplane (English): having, or consisting of, two superposed planes,...

Definitions

  1. having, or consisting of, two superposed planes,...

Ancestry of “biplane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplaneOf a surface: flat or level; A level or flat...
2Middle Englishplane—
3Old Frenchplane—
4Latinplatanusplanetree, sycamore
5Greekπλάτανοςplane tree
6Ancient Greekπλάτανοςplanetree
7Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat

Words derived from “biplane”

  • hydrobiplane
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂- →