plume

plume
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)

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • plume — PLUME. s. f. Ce qui couvre les oiseaux, & sert à les soustenir en l air. La menuë plume des oiseaux s appelle duvet. arracher les plumes de l aile, de le queuë d un oiseau. cet oiseau muë, toute sa plume tombe. un lit de plume. des plumes de coq …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Plume ! — Plume ! Contexte général Champs d’action Vulgarisation scientifique à vocation multimédia et multidisciplinaire Fiche d’identité Fondation 2006 Siège central …   Wikipédia en Français

  • plume — Plume, C est toute plume de volatille, combien que aucuns veulent appeler Penne, celle qui est de gros tuyau, et Plume celle qui l est de court et gresle, et Duvet, la plus menuë molle et flouete. Les anciens François par ce mot, Plume,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Plume — Plume, n. [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. {Fly}, v.] [1913 Webster] 1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather. [1913 Webster] Wings . . . of many a colored plume. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) An… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Plume — may refer to:In fashion: * A prominent bird feather often used as an ornament ** Hackle, an ornamental plume on a uniform headdress In literature: * Plume (publishing), an American book publishing company * Plumes , a 1924 novel by Laurence… …   Wikipedia

  • plume — [plo͞om] n. [OFr < L pluma, downy part of a feather, small soft feather < IE base * pleus , to pluck out, fluff of wool, hair > FLEECE] 1. a) a feather, esp. a large, fluffy, or showy one b) a cluster of such feathers 2. an ornament made …   English World dictionary

  • Plume — (engl. urspr. „Helmbusch“) steht für: senkrechte Ströme heißen Materials aus dem tiefen Erdmantel, die sich aufgrund der Mantelkonvektion einstellen; siehe Plume (Geologie) aufsteigende Gasmassen in der Atmosphäre eines Planeten in der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • 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. [1913 Webster] Pluming her wings among the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • plume — late 14c., a feather (especially a large and conspicuous one), from O.Fr. plume, from L. pluma feather, down, from PIE root *pleus to pluck, a feather, fleece (Cf. O.E. fleos fleece ). Meaning a long streamer of smoke, etc. is first attested 1878 …   Etymology dictionary

  • plume — ► NOUN 1) a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers. 2) a long spreading cloud of smoke or vapour. 3) Geology a column of magma rising by convection in the earth s mantle. ► VERB 1) (plumed) decorated with feathers. 2) (of smoke or vapour)… …   English terms dictionary

  • Plume — (plüm), frz., Feder; p.au (–moh), Federkissen; P.t (–mäh), Hutfeder; plumage (–mahsch), Federbusch; plumos, befiedert; mit federartigen Haaren besetzt …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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