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vane
vane.
1. A narrow pennant or strip of bunting mounted on a spindle. It was flown at the masthead of a sailing vessel to indicate the direction of the wind, though in most modern yachts wind direction is transmitted from an electronic wind vane at the masthead to a dial in the cockpit. In square-riggers, where the helmsman was unable to see the mastheads because of the sails, a small vane, known as a dog-vane, was attached to a pike and placed on the weather side of the quarterdeck. The dog-vane usually consisted of thin strips of cork strung on a piece of twine and sometimes stuck round with feathers. 2. The sights of a variety of quadrants, by which altitudes were measured, were also known as vanes. |
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Cite this article
"vane." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vane." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-vane.html "vane." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-vane.html |
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vane
vane / vān/ • n. a broad blade attached to a rotating axis or wheel that 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 adj. [usu. in comb.] a three-vaned windmill.ORIGIN: late Middle English: dialect variant of obsolete fane ‘banner,’ of Germanic origin. |
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"vane." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vane." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-vane.html "vane." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-vane.html |
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vane
vane plate of metal rotating on a spindle to show the direction of the wind XV; sail of a windmill XVI; sight of a surveying instrument; web of a feather XVIII. south. and western var. of †fane (1) flag, banner, (2) weather-cock, OE. fana = OS., OHG. fano (G. fahne), Goth. fana cloth:- Gmc. *fanan-, rel. to L. pannus piece of cloth.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "vane." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "vane." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-vane.html T. F. HOAD. "vane." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-vane.html |
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vane
vane n.
1. a broad blade attached to a rotating axis or wheel that pushes or is pushed by wind or water and forms part of a machine or device such as a windmill, propeller, or turbine. 2. 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. |
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"vane." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vane." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-vane.html "vane." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-vane.html |
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vane
vane A device for indicating the direction of wind. The standard exposure for wind vanes is on a mast at 10 m above unobstructed ground.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "vane." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "vane." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-vane.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "vane." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-vane.html |
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wind vane
wind vane see weather vane . |
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"wind vane." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wind vane." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-windvane.html "wind vane." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-windvane.html |
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vane
vane
•abstain, appertain, arcane, arraign, ascertain, attain, Bahrain, bane, blain, brain, Braine, Cain, Caine, campaign, cane, chain, champagne, champaign, Champlain, Charmaine, chicane, chow mein, cocaine, Coleraine, Coltrane, complain, constrain, contain, crane, Dane, deign, demesne, demi-mondaine, detain, disdain, domain, domaine, drain, Duane, Dwane, Elaine, entertain, entrain, explain, fain, fane, feign, gain, Germaine, germane, grain, humane, Hussein, inane, Jain, Jane, Jermaine, Kane, La Fontaine, lain, lane, legerdemain, Lorraine, main, Maine, maintain, mane, mise en scène, Montaigne, moraine, mundane, obtain, ordain, pain, Paine, pane, pertain, plain, plane, Port-of-Spain, profane, rain, Raine, refrain, reign, rein, retain, romaine, sane, Seine, Shane, Sinn Fein, skein, slain, Spain, Spillane, sprain, stain, strain, sustain, swain, terrain, thane, train, twain, Ujjain, Ukraine, underlain, urbane, vain, vane, vein, Verlaine, vicereine, wain, wane, Wayne
•watch chain • mondaine • Haldane
•ultramundane • Cellophane
•novocaine • sugar cane • marocain
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"vane." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vane." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-vane.html "vane." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-vane.html |
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