biplane

[ bahy-pleyn ]

noun

1. an airplane with two sets of wings, one above and usually slightly forward of the other.

biplane

/ ˈbaɪˌpleɪn /

noun

1. a type of aeroplane having two sets of wings, one above the other Compare monoplane

Word History and Origins

Origin of biplane¹

First recorded in 1870–75; bi- ¹ + (air)plane

Example Sentences

Five people aboard a Russian-designed biplane were stranded Monday when the plane landed at the North Pole and sank through the ice.

From Los Angeles Times

They were open-cockpit biplanes built with Sitka spruce lumber from Northwest coastal forests.

From Seattle Times

In the early days of aviation, for example, people could pay pilots directly to take unregulated rides on small biplanes.

From Salon

That's how they had her hover at that one point for one of the opening shots when she's hovering and then it turns into the biplane.

From Salon

“If he’d flown his biplane everywhere, he would have found a lot more forts—but he didn’t have the capability or the technology to do that at the time,” Casana notes.

From National Geographic