vane

n.

1. A weathervane.
2. Any of several usually relatively thin, rigid, flat, or sometimes curved surfaces radially mounted along an axis, as a blade in a turbine or a sail on a windmill, that is turned by or used to turn a fluid.
3. The flattened, weblike part of a feather, consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft.
4. 1. The movable target on a leveling rod.
   2. A sight on a quadrant or compass.
5. One of the metal guidance or stabilizing fins attached to the tail of a bomb or other missile.

[Middle English fane, vane, from Old English fana, flag.]

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.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Banner-shaped plate of metal, or a weather-cock or -vane, placed on a pivot on a high part of a building, to point towards the direction from which the wind comes.

The membranous or main part of the contour feather in birds as distinct from the shaft. It consists of the barbs held together by the interlocking barbules. Called also vexillum.

IN BRIEF: A flat metal plate that shows the direction of the wind. Also: One of the flat arms that spins on a propeller or fan.

I am easily influenced. Compared with me a weather vane is Gibraltar. — Franklin Pierce Adams (1881-1960).

Tutor's tip: Other words that sounds like vane which is a part of a propeller, are vain which means useless or having a high opinion of oneself and vein which is a kind of blood vessel.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - forfængelig

Nederlands (Dutch)
windvaan, wiek, schoep, veranderlijk iets/iemand, vlag van een veer, veer op pijl, landmeters instrument

Français (French)
n. - girouette, ailette, barbe (de plume), pinnule

Deutsch (German)
n. - Wetterfahne, Wetterhahn, Flügel, Blatt, Schaufel

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ανεμοδείκτης, πτερύγιο

Italiano (Italian)
ala, pinnula, pala

Português (Portuguese)
n. - cata-vento (m), ventoinha (f), vela de moinho (f), aspa (f), bárbula (f), defletor (Aer.)

Русский (Russian)
флюгер, лопасть

Español (Spanish)
n. - aspa, álabe, paleta

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - vindflöjel, vimpel, skovel

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
风向标, 变化不定的事物, 风信旗

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 風向標, 變化不定的事物, 風信旗

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 바람개비, (풍차 등의) 날개, (측량기 등의) 시준판

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 風見, 翼, 視準板, 翼板

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) جناح, دوارة الريح, ريشه المروحه او التوربين, ريشه توجيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שבשבת, כנף (של מדחף), אדם או דבר לא-יציב, מכשירי מודדים - מד-גובה וכו', החלק השטוח של כנף ציפור‬

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