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plume

noun
/ˈpluːm/UK/ˈplum/US

Etymology

Sense 1 (“to adorn, cover, or furnish with feathers or plumes”) is derived from Anglo-Norman plumer (“to cover with or provide with feathers”), or its etymon Latin plūmāre, the present active infinitive of plūmō (“to grow feathers, to fledge; to cover with feathers, to feather; to embroider with a feathery pattern”) (and compare Late Latin plūmō (“to attach feathers to arrows; of a hawk: to pluck the feathers from prey; (figurative) to celebrate, praise”)), from plūma (“feather; plumage; down”) (see etymology 1) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Senses 2–4 (“to arrange and preen the feathers of; to congratulate (oneself) proudly; to strip of feathers”) are from Late Middle English plumen (“to remove the feathers from a bird; of a hawk: to pluck the feathers or the head from prey”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman and Middle French plumer (“to remove the feathers from a bird; to pull out (hairs, especially from a moustache); to rob”), from plūma (see etymology 1). Sense 5 (“to fan out or spread in a cloud”) is derived from plume (noun).

  1. derived from *plewk-✻ — “to fly”
  2. derived from *plouksmā✻
  3. derived from plūma — “feather, plumage”
  4. derived from plume,plome — “feather, plumage”
  5. derived from plum,plume
  6. inherited from plum,plume — “feather; plumage”

Definitions

  1. A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one used as a decoration.

    • Near-synonym: aigrette
    • Under a Coronet his flowing haire / In curles on either cheek plaid, wings he wore / Of many a colourd plume ſprinkl'd with Gold, / His habit fit for ſpeed ſuccinct, and held / Before his decent ſteps a Silver wand.

  2. A cluster of feathers worn as an ornament, especially on a helmet

    A cluster of feathers worn as an ornament, especially on a helmet; a hackle.

    • Near-synonym: aigrette

  3. A token of honour or prowess

    A token of honour or prowess; that on which one prides oneself; a prize or reward.

    • But well thou comſt / Before thy fellows, ambitious to win / From me ſom Plume, that thy ſucceſs may ſhow / Deſtruction to the reſt: […]
  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. The vane (“flattened, web-like part”) of a feather, especially when on a quill pen or the…

      The vane (“flattened, web-like part”) of a feather, especially when on a quill pen or the fletching of an arrow.

    2. Ellipsis of plume moth (“a small, slender moth of the family Pterophoridae”).

    3. Things resembling a feather.

      • Tidal gravitational effects cause plumes of sodium silicate to erupt from Elaaden's core, depositing unusually pure silicon sand across the surface—invaluable for manufacturing high-performance computer hardware.

    4. To adorn, cover, or furnish with feathers or plumes, or as if with feathers or plumes.

    5. Chiefly of a bird

      Chiefly of a bird: to arrange and preen the feathers of, specifically in preparation for flight; hence (figurative), to prepare for (something).

      • I make no doubt she has made the best of her way back to the hospitable hall of Sir Watkyn Williams Wynne; and may very possibly be pluming her wings, at this present writing, among the breezy bowers of Wynnstay.
      • I bless thee that thy angel-presence still infolds me here! / Forgive me, ere thy spirit plumest for the heavenly sphere.
      • […] Ruth resembled the dove that plumeth its wings in readiness to fly away and be at rest, in the ark of everlasting peace and joy.

    6. To congratulate (oneself) proudly, especially concerning something unimportant or when…

      To congratulate (oneself) proudly, especially concerning something unimportant or when taking credit for another person's effort; to self-congratulate; to preen.

      • He plumes himself on his skill.
      • pride and plume himself in his Deformities
      • We mention this Obſervation, not with any View of pretending to account for ſo odd a Behaviour, but lest ſome Critic should hereafter plume himſelf on diſcovering it.

    7. To strip (a bird) of feathers

      To strip (a bird) of feathers; to pluck.

      • the king cared not to plume his nobility
      • They wou'd have plum'd his eagles on the field

    8. Of a dispersed substance such as dust or smoke

      Of a dispersed substance such as dust or smoke: to fan out or spread in a cloud.

      • Smoke plumed from his pipe, then slowly settled towards the floor.

    9. A surname

The neighborhood

Derived

antiplume, Apache plume, displume, emplume, interplume, megaplume, nom-de-plume, plume alum, plumebird, plume grass, plume head, plume holder, plume-holder, plumeless, plumelet, plumelike, plume moth, plume nutmeg, plume poppy, plumery, plumeseed, plume tail, plumist, plumy, prince's plume, pull someone's plumes, semiplume, Silver Plume, Spanish plume, superplume, warrior's plume, plumed, replume, unplume, unplumed

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for plume. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA