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smoothing plane

smoothing plane

7.4
A small hand tool that makes wood surfaces even and fine
  • noun
  • /ˈsmuːðɪŋ pleɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gubia
  • He carefully ran the smoothing plane along the grain of the wood to remove fine imperfections.

Examples

  • Every woodworker should have a good smoothing plane in their collection of tools.

  • He used a smoothing plane to finish the tabletop.

  • The carpenter selected a smoothing plane to give the tabletop a perfectly even finish.

  • The smoothing plane is essential for woodworkers.

  • The carpenter used a smoothing plane to create a perfectly smooth finish on the wooden table.

  • After shaping the wood, he reached for the smoothing plane to refine the surface before varnishing.

  • To remove any imperfections, she carefully guided the smoothing plane along the edge of the board.

Synonyms

plane
vssmoothing plane
97 7.1

A hand tool with a sharp blade for smoothing wood

is a specific small type mainly for finishing surfaces
smoother
vssmoothing plane
1 3.3

A tool or substance that makes a surface less rough

refers specifically to a small handheld tool for finishing wood surfaces
smooth plane
vssmoothing plane
  • Specialized
8.4

A small hand tool that makes wood surfaces smooth

is the same but uses the -ing word form
woodworking plane
vssmoothing plane
  • Specialized
6.3

A hand tool with a sharp adjustable blade for smoothing and shaping wood surfaces

is smaller and mainly used for final surface finishing
carpenter's plane
vssmoothing plane
6.0

A hand tool with an adjustable blade used to smooth or shape wood

is smaller and focused on final surface smoothing rather than general shaping
block plane
vssmoothing plane
  • Specialized
7.7

A small hand tool for smoothing and trimming the ends of wood

is for general finishing across whole surfaces rather than end grains
bullnosed plane
vssmoothing plane
  • Specialized
9.8

A small woodworking tool with its blade near the front for smoothing wood close to corners

is for broad surface finishing rather than confined or corner work
compass plane
vssmoothing plane
  • Specialized
9.9

A hand tool with a flexible bottom for smoothing inside and outside curves in wood

is for flat surface finishing rather than shaping curves
circular plane
vssmoothing plane
  • Specialized
9.0

A woodworking tool with a curved, flexible base for shaping rounded wood

is aimed at flat surface finishing not forming curves

How Smooth

polisher
5 2.7
smoothing plane
  • Specialized
7.4
jack plane
  • Specialized
1 7.6
to sandpaper
1 5.1
rasp
  • Specialized
1 8.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

smooth + plane

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'smoothing' (making a surface even or finish) with 'plane' (a handheld woodworking tool): a plane used for smoothing wood. Although it is a specialized woodworking term, the compositional pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Smoothing plane is named for what the tool does: a small hand plane that shaves tiny layers of wood to do the smoothing, so the surface becomes flat and even. That's why the name means 'to make wood smooth'.