plano

Plano is a term with multiple meanings across languages and contexts. In Spanish and Portuguese, plano can mean a plan or a map, as well as a flat or level surface. In geometry and related disciplines, the equivalent concept is a plane, and plano is used in those languages to refer to a two-dimensional, flat surface or space.

As a place name, Plano refers most prominently to a city in North Texas, United States. Located within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Plano sits in Collin and Denton counties and is known as a suburban center with a diversified economy, residential areas, and educational institutions. It is part of the broader Dallas region and has been associated with growth, corporate offices, and a high quality of life.

In design, cartography, and architecture, plano is used to describe a plan or drawing that represents a layout, arrangement, or layout of features at a given scale. Architectural plans, floor plans, and maps are all examples of planos in this sense, providing two-dimensional representations used to communicate dimensions and organization.

Etymologically, plano derives from Latin planus, meaning flat. The Romance languages adopted the term with related senses, yielding contemporary uses in planning, surveying, and geometry. Across its various meanings, plano thus conveys ideas of flat surfaces, structured layouts, and organized representations.