1. vane(n = noun.artifact) weather vane, weathervane, wind vane - mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind;
is a kind of mechanical device
has particulars: weathercock, wind tee
2. vane(n = noun.artifact) - a fin attached to the tail of an arrow, bomb or missile in order to stabilize or guide it;
is a kind of fin
is a part of arrow, missile
3. vane(n = noun.artifact) blade - flat surface that rotates and pushes against air or water;
is a kind of rotating mechanism
is a part of chopper, eggbeater, helicopter, whirlybird, oar, propeller, propellor, turbine, aerogenerator, wind generator, windmill
has particulars: fan blade, impeller, paddle, rudder blade
4. vane(n = noun.animal) web - the flattened weblike part of a feather consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft;
is a kind of blade
is a part of feather, plumage, plume
has parts: barb
1. A contrivance attached to some elevated object for the purpose of showing which way the wind blows; a weathercock. It is usually a plate or strip of metal, or slip of wood, often cut into some fanciful form, and placed upon a perpendicular axis around which it moves freely. [1913 Webster]
"Aye undiscreet, and changing as a vane." [1913 Webster]
2. Any flat, extended surface attached to an axis and moved by the wind; as, the vane of a windmill; hence, a similar fixture of any form moved in or by water, air, or other fluid; as, the vane of a screw propeller, a fan blower, an anemometer, etc. [1913 Webster]
3. The rhachis and web of a feather taken together. [1913 Webster]
4. One of the sights of a compass, quadrant, etc. [1913 Webster]
vane, n.
1 (in full weather-vane) a revolving pointer mounted on a church spire or other high place to show the direction of the wind (cf. WEATHERCOCK).
2 a blade of a screw propeller or a windmill etc.
3 the sight of surveying instruments, a quadrant, etc.
4 the flat part of a bird's feather formed by the barbs.
Derivative:
vaned adj. vaneless adj.
Etymology:
ME, southern & western var. of obs. fane f. OE fana banner f. Gmc
N wind, draught, flatus, afflatus, efflation, eluvium, air, breath, breath of air, puff, whiff, zephyr, blow, breeze, drift, aura, stream, current, jet stream, undercurrent, gust, blast, squall, gale, half a gale, storm, tempest, hurricane, whirlwind, tornado, samiel, cyclone, anticyclone, typhoon, simoon, simoom, harmattan, monsoon, trade wind, sirocco, mistral, bise, tramontane, levanter, capful of wind, fresh breeze, stiff breeze, keen blast, blizzard, barber, candelia, chinook, foehn, khamsin, norther, vendaval, wuther, windiness, ventosity, rough weather, dirty weather, ugly weather, stress of weather, dirty sky, mare's tail, thick squall, black squall, white squall, anemography, aerodynamics, wind gauge, weathercock, vane, weather- vane, wind sock, anemometer, anemoscope, sufflation, insufflation, perflation, inflation, afflation, blowing, fanning, ventilation, sneezing, errhine, sternutative, sternutatory, sternutation, hiccup, hiccough, catching of the breath, Eolus, Boreas, Zephyr, cave of Eolus, air pump, air blower, lungs, bellows, blowpipe, fan, ventilator, punkah, branchiae, gills, flabellum, vertilabrum, whiffle ball, blowing, windy, flatulent, breezy, gusty, squally, stormy, tempestuous, blustering, boisterous, pulmonic, pulmonary, lull'd by soft zephyrs, the storm is up and all is on the hazard, the winds were wither'd in the stagnant air, while mocking winds are piping loud, winged with red lightning and tempestuous rage.
N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.