From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishaeroplaneaer‧o‧plane /ˈeərəpleɪn $ ˈerə-/ British English, airplane American English noun [countable] a flying vehicle with wings and at least one engine SYN planeGRAMMAR: Patterns with aeroplane• You usually say get on an aeroplane: The last two passengers got on the aeroplane. • You can also say get in an aeroplane.• You say get off an aeroplane: Press were waiting when they got off the aeroplane.• You usually say that someone is on an aeroplane: The film is set on an aeroplane.• You can also say that someone is in an aeroplane. • You go somewhere by aeroplane: They never travel by aeroplane. → aircraft
Examples from the Corpus
aeroplane• He loped up the street in zigzags, swooping and making aeroplane noises.• She recalled no aeroplanes flying over the heath.• The remainder will replace older aeroplanes.• One of the officers showed me into the aeroplane and himself sat down in the pilot's seat.• Entebbe is where you came on the aeroplane.• It started on the aeroplane on the way out.• The aeroplane fell apart when it hit the ground.Origin aeroplane (1800-1900) French aéroplane, from aéro- “aero-” + plan “flat”