vane

noun

ˈvān 

1

a

: a movable device attached to an elevated object (such as a spire) for showing the direction of the wind

b

: one that is changeable or inconstant

2

: a thin flat or curved object that is rotated about an axis by a flow of fluid or that rotates to cause a fluid to flow or that redirects a flow of fluid

the vanes of a windmill

3

: the web or flat expanded part of a feather see feather illustration

4

: a feather fastened to the shaft near the nock of an arrow

Examples of vane in a Sentence

the vanes of a windmill

Recent Examples on the Web

However, instead of acres of canvas strung from a forest of timber masts, the new systems use kites, wind vanes made of composites or are inflatable, while some even use the hull of the ship itself as a sail. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 31 July 2024

That data is informing the design of the RISE demonstrator, seen above, which features vanes behind the main fans that help direct airflow and reduce noise. —Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 22 July 2024

Many of the arguments about whether this creature could fly have centered on something called vane asymmetry. —Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024

In living birds that fly, the feathers that arise from the hand, known as the primaries, have asymmetrical vanes: the leading vane is narrower than the trailing one. —Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fane, vane "flag, pennant, weather vane," going back to Old English fana, fane (masculine or feminine weak noun) "banner, standard, kind of iris," going back to Germanic *fanōn (whence also Old Frisian fona, fana "flag," Old Saxon fano "cloth, cloak, flag," Middle Dutch vane, vaen "flag," Old High German fano "cloth, cloak, ribbon, flag," Old Icelandic fani "banner," Gothic fana "piece of cloth, rag"), perhaps a borrowing from the same source as Latin pannus "piece of cloth, rag"

Note: In the sense "banner, flag" Old English fana, Old Saxon fano, etc., are probably shortenings of Old English gūþfana, Old Saxon gūthfano, etc., "battle standard, banner"—see gonfalon. —The Germanic and Latin etyma have also been associated with Greek pḗnē "thread on the spool or bobbin that will form the weft" (also pēníon, Doric pāníon "spool, bobbin," and pênos, glossed "web" by Hesychius), though the senses appear too remote to be comparable. G. Kroonen suggests that the forms might be unified by positing an original ablauting n-stem *p(é)h₂-ōn, genitive *ph₂-n-ós, with the Germanic word being the outcome of a generalized stem *ph₂-no- or *peh₂-nó-, with shortening by Dybo's Law (shortening of long vowels before an accented syllable beginning with a resonant). Latin pannum could be relatable if it was the outcome of the littera-rule (V:C > VCC). A problem here, however, is that there appear to be no other cases of the littera-rule operating in Latin before a nasal consonant—and, in any case, there are no examples of *pānus. Germanic *fanōn and Latin pannus are perhaps to be considered loanwords from an unknown source.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing vane

• weather vane

Kids Definition

vane

noun

ˈvān 

1

: a movable device attached to something high to show which way the wind is blowing

2

: a thin flat or curved object that is rotated about an axis by a flow of fluid (as air or water) or that rotates to cause a fluid to flow or that changes the direction of a flow of fluid

the vanes of a windmill

3

: the web or flat expanded part of a feather

vaned

ˈvānd 

adjective

Biographical Definition

Vane

biographical name

ˈvān 

Sir Henry 1613–1662 the Younger English statesman