Adjacent Words

Plume definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PLUME, n. [L. pluma.]
1. The feather of a fowl, particularly a large feather.
2. A feather worn as an ornament, particularly an ostrich's feather.
And his high plume that nodded o'er his head.
3. Pride; towering mien.
4. Token of honor; prize of contest.
Ambitious to win from me some plume.
PLUME

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness; "a plume of smoke"; "grass with large plumes"
2: a feather or cluster of feathers worn as an ornament
3: the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds [syn: feather, plume, plumage] v
1: rip off; ask an unreasonable price [syn: overcharge, soak, surcharge, gazump, fleece, plume, pluck, rob, hook] [ant: undercharge]
2: be proud of; "He prides himself on making it into law school" [syn: pride, plume, congratulate]
3: deck with a plume; "a plumed helmet"
4: clean with one's bill; "The birds preened" [syn: preen, plume]
5: form a plume; "The chimneys were pluming the sky"; "The engine was pluming black smoke"
6: dress or groom with elaborate care; "She likes to dress when going to the opera" [syn: preen, primp, plume, dress]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pluma small soft feather — more at fleece Date: 14th century 1. a feather of a bird: as a. a large conspicuous or showy feather b. contour feather c. plumage d. a cluster of distinctive feathers 2. a. material (as a feather, cluster of feathers, or a tuft of hair) worn as an ornament b. a token of honor or prowess ; prize 3. something resembling a feather (as in shape, appearance, or lightness): as a. a plumose appendage of a plant b. an elongated and usually open and mobile column or band (as of smoke, exhaust gases, or blowing snow) c. an animal structure having a main shaft bearing many hairs or filamentous parts; especially a full bushy tail d. any of several columns of molten rock rising from the earth's lower mantle that are theorized to drive tectonic plate movement and to underlie hot spots II. transitive verb (plumed; pluming) Date: 15th century 1. a. to provide or deck with feathers b. to array showily 2. to indulge (oneself) in pride with an obvious or vain display of self-satisfaction 3. of a bird a. to preen and arrange the feathers of (itself) b. to preen and arrange (feathers)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a feather, esp. a large one used for ornament. 2 an ornament of feathers etc. attached to a helmet or hat or worn in the hair. 3 something resembling this (a plume of smoke). 4 Zool. a feather-like part or formation. --v. 1 tr. decorate or provide with a plume or plumes. 2 refl. (foll. by on, upon) pride (oneself on esp. something trivial). 3 tr. (of a bird) preen (itself or its feathers). Derivatives: plumeless adj. plumelike adj. plumery n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L pluma down

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plume Plume, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plumed; p. pr. & vb. n. Pluming.] [Cf. F. plumer to pluck, to strip, L. plumare to cover with feathers.] 1. To pick and adjust the plumes or feathers of; to dress or prink. Pluming her wings among the breezy bowers. --W. Irving. 2. To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel. [Obs.] --Bacon. Dryden. 3. To adorn with feathers or plumes. ``Farewell the plumed troop.'' --Shak. 4. To pride; to vaunt; to boast; -- used reflexively; as, he plumes himself on his skill. --South. Plumed adder (Zo["o]l.), an African viper (Vipera, or Clotho cornuta), having a plumelike structure over each eye. It is venomous, and is related to the African puff adder. Called also horned viper and hornsman. Plumed partridge (Zo["o]l.), the California mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus). See Mountain quail, under Mountain.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plume Plume, n. [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. Fly, v.] 1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather. Wings . . . of many a colored plume. --Milton. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An ornamental tuft of feathers. 3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling feathers. His high plume, that nodded o'er his head. --Dryden. 4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward. ``Ambitious to win from me some plume.'' --Milton. 5. (Bot.) A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses. Plume bird (Zo["o]l.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida (Ardea candidissima). Plume grass. (Bot) (a) A kind of grass (Erianthus saccharoides) with the spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United States. (b) The still finer E. Ravenn[ae] from the Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended to the whole genus. Plume moth (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous small, slender moths, belonging to the family Pterophorid[ae]. Most of them have the wings deeply divided into two or more plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the grapevine. Plume nutmeg (Bot.), an aromatic Australian tree (Atherosperma moschata), whose numerous carpels are tipped with long plumose persistent styles.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(plumes) 1. A plume of smoke, dust, fire, or water is a large quantity of it that rises into the air in a column. The rising plume of black smoke could be seen all over Kabul. N-COUNT: usu N of n 2. A plume is a large, soft bird's feather. ...broad straw hats decorated with ostrich plumes. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Feather. 2. Crest, tuft.

Moby Thesaurus

bead, bejewel, beribbon, bespangle, brush up, crest, diamond, dress, engrave, feather, fettle, figure, filigree, flag, flounce, flower, garland, gem, groom, hackle, illuminate, jewel, manicure, paint, panache, pinion, pique, plumule, preen, quill, ribbon, scapular, spangle, tinsel, topknot, tuft, wreathe