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vane

Pronunciation: /veɪn/
Translate vane | into Italian
Definition of vane

noun

  • a broad blade attached to a rotating axis or wheel which pushes or is pushed by wind or water and forms part of a machine or device such as a windmill, propeller, or turbine.
  • short for weathervane.
  • the flat part on either side of the shaft of a feather.
  • a broad, flat projecting surface designed to guide the motion of a projectile, such as a feather on an arrow or a fin on a torpedo.

Derivatives

vaned

adjective
[usually in combination]:a three-vaned windmill

Origin:

late Middle English: dialect variant of obsolete fane 'banner', of Germanic origin

Do not confuse vain with vane or vein. Vain means 'having a very high opinion of yourself' (a vain woman with a touch of snobbery) or 'without success or a result' (a vain attempt to tidy up); vein means 'a tube that carries blood around the body' or 'a particular style or quality' (he continued in a more serious vein); vane means 'a broad blade forming part of a windmill, propeller, or turbine'.

vane in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of vane in the US English dictionary