pane

Pane is a term used for a flat sheet of material, typically glass or transparent plastic, that forms part of a window, door, or display case. In everyday use, a pane refers to the individual piece of glass that makes up a window.

In building and architecture, panes are installed within window frames and can be single- or multi-layered. Double- or triple-glazed panes improve insulation and reduce noise. The glass can be annealed, tempered, or laminated, depending on safety and strength requirements. Pane configurations vary, with options such as obscured, tinted, or decorative panes used for privacy or aesthetic effect.

In computing and software, a pane is a subdivision of a window that displays a specific type of content. Common examples include navigation panes, content panes, or properties panes. Panes are used in many applications and environments, including file managers, integrated development environments, and web-based interfaces. They are often resizable, collapsible, or dockable to support flexible layouts.

Outside technical contexts, pane simply denotes a sheet or slab of material, such as a glass pane in a display case or aquarium. The term is frequently encountered in phrases like glass pane or window pane and is distinguished from other uses of the word pane in non-architectural settings.