plane tree

1 6.1

A large tree with pale, peeling bark, broad leaves, and round seed balls that gives shade

noun
/pleɪn tri/

: plátano

In places, the original plane trees were left intact.

Examples

A wide channel of green water runs under bridges, under high plane trees, along the quai.

Fiction book (1998)
In the town center, the Avenue de la Poste hosts beautiful plane trees (Platanus orientalis) that provide a shady place to linger during the heat of a summer's day.

Academic text (2005)
There it was wet and stuck to the ground among the leaves that had fallen from the plane trees.

Fiction book (1990)
Even the plane trees looked imported.

Fiction book (1999)
Starting the car, he drove up the majestic avenue lined with plane trees, continuing.

Fiction book (1996)
A cluster of maple and plane trees with their heads joined together at the top provided a wide shade around her.

Fiction book (2000)
As far as he could see, plane trees lined the road, and he walked out of the blinding sunlight into that cool corridor.

Fiction book (2001)
It had been a windy day, the plane trees tossing about, shedding their leaves in droves.

Fiction book (2000)
The building loomed at the end of a road lined with tall plane trees.
Gray skies, bitter cold; plane trees along the Ring limned in snow.

Synonyms

Platanus

vsplane tree

Specialized

1 9.5

A group of large trees that lose their leaves in winter, like the London plane and American sycamore

is one specific tree focusing on pale peeling bark and spherical fruit

American plane

vsplane tree

1 8.6

A very large tree with broad branches and peeling bark from eastern and central North America

focuses on spherical fruit clusters and lobed leaves rather than branch shape

American sycamore

vsplane tree

6.7

A very large tree from eastern and central North America with broad leaves and patchy peeling bark

emphasizes thin pale peeling bark and lobed leaves rather than mottled bark

London plane

vsplane tree

5.8

A large fast-growing tree with bark that peels, planted along city streets because it tolerates pollution

describes the species by bark, leaves, and fruit not urban planting use

Surface Forms

plane tree singular

plane trees plural

Morphology

plane + tree

The compound 'plane tree' names a specific genus (Platanus) and its botanical sense of 'plane' is not the common B1 meanings (aircraft or flat surface), so the overall meaning ('a large deciduous tree with peeling bark') cannot be derived from the constituent words by a typical B1 learner. This is essentially a taxonomic/lexicalized name rather than a transparent composition, so learners who only know ordinary senses of 'plane' and 'tree' will not predict this meaning.

Etymology

The name plane tree comes from the old Greek word 'platanos', which means 'broad' and points to the tree's very wide leaves. So the part plane helps you remember this large tree with big leaves and pale, peeling bark.