Plan, plan, n. a drawing of anything on a plane or flat surface: a drawing of a building as it stands on the ground: a scheme or project for accomplishing a purpose: a contrivance: a method or custom.—v.t. to make a sketch of on a flat surface: to form in design: to lay plans for:—pr.p. plan′ning; pa.t. and pa.p. planned.—adj. Plan′less.—ns. Plan′ner, one who forms a plan: a projector; Work′ing-plan, a draft on a large scale given to workmen to work from.—Plan of campaign, the method of conducting the struggle of the Irish tenants against the landlords, organised by the National League in 1886, its officers collecting what they considered a fair rent, and offering it to the landlord, and where he refused to accept it spending it on the support of the persons evicted. [Fr.,—L. planus, flat.]
Planarian, plā-nā′ri-an, adj. and n. a term practically coextensive with Turbellarian, applicable to the members of the lowest class of worm-like animals, living in fresh and salt water, and sometimes in damp earth.—adjs. Planar′iform, Planā′rioid. [L. planarius, flat.]
Planch, planch, v.t. (Shak.) to cover with planks. [Fr. planche—L. planea.]
Planchet, plan′chet, n. a flat piece of metal ready to receive impression as a coin.
Planchette, plan-shet′, n. a small heart-shaped or triangular piece of board resting on three props, two of which are castors and one a pencil-point, which, while a person's fingers are lightly resting on it, sometimes moves, as if of its own accord, and traces with the pencil marks and even words upon a piece of paper below it. [Fr. planchette, a small board.]
Plane, plān, n. (geom.) a surface on which, if any two points be taken, the straight line joining them will lie entirely on the surface: (astron.) a surface thought of as bounded by the line round which a heavenly body moves: any flat or level surface: any incline on which coal is lowered by the effect of gravity: any grade of life or of development.—adj. having the character of a plane: pertaining to, lying in, or forming a plane.—v.t. to make plane or smooth.—adj. Plā′nary, relating to a plane: flat.—n. Plane′-tā′ble, a topographical instrument used in field-mapping, and having a sighting-telescope for observing objects, whose angles may be noted on a paper on the table of the instrument: an inclined table on which ore is dressed.—v.t. to survey with a plane-table.—ns. Plan′igraph, an instrument for reducing or enlarging drawings; Planim′eter, an instrument for measuring the area of a plane figure.—adjs. Planimet′ric, -al.—n. Planim′etry, the mensuration of plane surfaces.—adj. Planipet′alous, having flat petals.—ns. Plan′isher, a thin flat-ended tool used for smoothing tin-plate and brasswork: a workman who planishes, esp. one who prepares copper-plates for engravers; Plan′isphere, a sphere projected on a plane.—adjs. Planispher′ic; Plāno-con′cave, plane on one side and concave on the other; Plā′no-con′ical, plane on one side and conical on the other; Plā′no-con′vex, plane on one side and convex on the other.—n. Planog′raphist, a map-maker.—adj. Plā′no-horizon′tal, having a plane horizontal surface or position.—ns. Planom′eter, a plane surface used in machine-making as a gauge for plane surfaces; Planom′etry, the measurement of plane surfaces.—adj. Plā′no-sub′ulate, smooth and awl-shaped.—Plane angle, an angle contained by two straight lines in a plane; Plane figure, a figure all of whose points lie in one plane; Plane geometry, the geometry of plane figures; Plane sailing, the calculation of a ship's place in its course, as if the earth were flat instead of spherical: easy work; Plane trigonometry, that branch of trigonometry which treats of triangles described on a plane.—Inclined plane (see Incline); Perspective plane (see Perspective). [Fr.,—L. planus, plain.]
Plane, plān, n. a carpenter's tool for producing a level or smooth surface.—v.t. to make a surface (as of wood) level by means of a plane.—ns. Plā′ner, a tool or machine for planing: a smooth wooden block used for levelling a form of type; Plān′ing-machine′, a machine for planing wood or metals.—v.t. Plan′ish, to make smooth: to polish. [Fr.,—Low L. planāre, to make level.]
Planet, plan′et, n. one of the bodies in the solar system which revolve in elliptic orbits round the sun.—n. Planetā′rium, a machine showing the motions and orbits of the planets.—adjs. Plan′etary, pertaining to the planets: consisting of, or produced by, planets: under the influence of a planet: erratic: revolving; Planet′ic, -al.—n. Plan′etoid, a celestial body having the form or nature of a planet: one of a number of very small planets, often called asteroids, moving round the sun between Mars and Jupiter.—adjs. Planetoi′dal; Plan′et-strick′en, Plan′et-struck (astrol.), affected by the influence of the planets: blasted.—n. Plan′etule, a little planet.—Minor planets, the numerous group of very small planets which is situated in the solar system between Mars and Jupiter. [Fr. planète—Gr. planētēs, wanderer—planān, to make to wander.]
Plane-tree, plān′-trē, n. any one of the several trees constituting the genus Platanus, esp. the oriental or common plane-tree, with its variety the maple-leaved plane-tree, and the American plane-tree, usually called sycamore or buttonwood or buttonball: in Great Britain, the sycamore maple. [Fr. plane—L. platanus—Gr. platanos—platys, broad.]
Plangent, plan′jent, adj. resounding: noisy. [L. plangens, -gentis—plangĕre, to beat.]