noun
vane
vayn
noun
1
A device mounted on a roof or pole that turns to show which way the wind is blowing.
"The weather vane on the barn swung around to point north as the front moved in."
"An old copper vane in the shape of a rooster topped the church steeple."
2
A flat blade mounted on an axis that is turned by, or used to turn, a moving fluid, as in a turbine or windmill.
"Wind pushed against the vanes of the turbine, spinning the shaft that drives the generator."
3
The flat, web-like part of a feather formed by the barbs on either side of the central shaft.
"Under a microscope you can see how tiny hooked barbules lock the vane of the feather together."
How to Use Vane
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA vane is something that catches and shows the direction of moving air (or water) — from a rooftop weathercock to the angled blades inside a turbine.
Common mistake
Easily confused with "vein" (a blood vessel) and "vain" (conceited, or futile) — all three are pronounced the same way.
Common pairings
weather vane
turbine vane
vane of a feather
Word Forms
vanes plural, Vanes plural
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The weather _____ on the barn swung around to point north as the front moved in.
Etymology
From Old English fana, "cloth, banner, flag," the same root that gave German Fahne. The weather-vane sense comes from early flag-like devices used to show wind direction before the familiar spinning arrow design took over.