noun
pane
PAYN/peɪn/
A single sheet of glass in a window or door.
The clear glass pane fits into the rectangular wooden window frame.
Etymology
From a piece of cloth or garment, the word developed the broader idea of a distinct section of a surface. That idea links sections of walls with individual sheets of window glass.
In context
With the outer pane broken, the only thing between the men and instant death was a single pane of glass.
More examples
- The baseball cracked a pane in the kitchen window.
- She wipes fingerprints off the door's glass panes.
- Each window has two panes with an insulating space between them.
Forms
pane · panes
Similar words
- windowpane
- Specifically names a pane of glass in a window.
- sheet
- Refers to a flat piece of material, not necessarily glass.