plumage

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plumage

/ˈpluːmɪd͡ʒ/ UK
/ˈpljuː-/ obsolete, UK
/ˈplumɪd͡ʒ/ US

Rhymes with -uːmɪdʒ

Where it comes from

From Late Middle English plumage, plummage (“bird’s feathers collectively, plumage; (falconry) feathers fed to a hawk to cause it to regurgitate, casting”), from Middle French plumage, plomage (“bird’s feathers collectively; person’s (showy) clothing”), from Old French plumage (“bird’s feathers collectively”) (modern French plumage), from plume (“feather, plume”) + -age (suffix forming nouns denoting a state of being). Plume is derived from Latin plūma (“feather, plume”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to flow; to fly; to run; etc.”), from Proto-Indo-European *plew- (“to flow; to fly; to run”). By surface analysis, plume + -age (suffix forming nouns with a sense of appurtenance or collection).

noun plumages

uncountable The feathers covering the body of a bird collectively. Very fayre ⁊ hardy Hawkes [“Slauon Goshawkes”], large footed, very well penned, theyr downe and plumage excellent fine, their tungs blacke, and their nares large and wide.
Similar: pennage
archaic, broadly, uncountable Feathers used ornamentally; feathering; (countable) a bunch or tuft of such feathers; a plume. [S]he could not but contrast the splendour of the Polish retinues and their plumages and draperies, with the strait-buttoned Prussian dignitaries, all in mere soldier uniform, succinct 'blue coat, white linen gaiters,' and no superfluity even in the epaulettes and red facings.
broadly, obsolete, uncountable Feathers which are fed to a hawk to cause it to regurgitate, for the purpose of cleaning its crop; a type of casting. Euery night, after he hath fleen with his hawke the daye, either at the fielde, or brooke, he muſte giue his hawke caſting, ſomewhyles plumage, ſome other whiles pellets of Cotton, or ſuche like, and agayne, ſometimes ſome one medicine or other, according as by hir caſting, or mewte, he ſhall percey
countable, figuratively, uncountable A person's dress, especially when elaborate or fine. While she was thinking what to say, Marie gradually wiped away her tears, and smoothed her plumage in a general sort of way, as a dove might be supposed to make toilet after a shower, […]
countable, figuratively, uncountable A person's external appearance, especially when showy. I have thought / Of thee, thy learning, gorgeous eloquence, / And all the strength and plumage of thy youth, […]

Translations

Every language

noun feathers covering the body of a bird collectively

Español	plumaje
한국어	깃털 git'teol
日本語	羽毛 umō
中文	羽毛 yǔmáo
Português	plumagem
Français	plumage, plume (metonym), plumée, pennage
Deutsch	Federkleid, Federschmuck, Gefieder, Vogelgefieder
Italiano	piumaggio, piume
Ελληνικά	φτέρωμα ftéroma
Русский	опере́ние operénije
العربية	رَخْت raḵt

noun person’s dress, especially when elaborate or fine

العربية	رَخْت raḵt

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MLA

"plumage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plumage. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

plumage. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plumage

Chicago

"plumage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plumage.

BibTeX

@misc{plumage_2026,
  title = {plumage},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plumage},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}