plume
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plume¹
- /ˈpluːm/ UK
- /ˈpljuːm/ UK, obsolete
- /ˈplum/ US
Rhymes with -uːm
Where it comes from
From Late Middle English plum, plume (“feather; plumage”), from Anglo-Norman plum, plume, from Old French plume, plome (“feather, plumage”), from Latin plūma (“feather, plumage”) (compare Late Latin plūma (“pen, quill”)), from Proto-Italic *plouksmā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to fly”). Doublet of pluma.
noun plumes
-
A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one used as a decoration.
Near-synonym: aigrette
Similar: aigrette
-
A cluster of feathers worn as an ornament, especially on a helmet; a hackle.
Near-synonym: aigrette
Similar: aigrette
-
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: […]
Similar: feather in one's cap
- The vane (“flattened, web-like part”) of a feather, especially when on a quill pen or the fletching of an arrow.
- Ellipsis of plume moth (“a small, slender moth of the family Pterophoridae”).
- 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.
- A cloud formed by a dispersed substance fanning out or spreading. After the explosion, a plume of smoke could be seen in the sky for miles around.
- An upward spray of mist or water.
- An arc of glowing material (chiefly gases) erupting from the surface of a star.
- A large and flexible panicle of an inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses.
- Ellipsis of mantle plume (“an upwelling of abnormally hot molten material from the Earth's mantle which spreads sideways when it reaches the lithosphere”).
- The furry tail of certain dog breeds (such as the Samoyed) that curls over their backs or stands erect.
- More fully gill plume: a feathery gill of some crustaceans and molluscs.
plume²
- /ˈpluːm/ UK
- /ˈpljuːm/ UK, obsolete
- /ˈplum/ US
Rhymes with -uːm
Where it comes from
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).
verb plumes · pluming · plumed · plume
- To adorn, cover, or furnish with feathers or plumes, or as if with feathers or plumes.
- 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.
- 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.
-
To strip (a bird) of feathers; to pluck.
the king cared not to plume his nobility
Similar: unplume
-
To peel, to strip completely; to pillage; also, to deprive of power.
Similar: unplume
-
Of a hawk: to pluck the feathers from prey.
The hauke proineth when ſhe fetcheth oyle with her beake over the taile, and anointeth her feet and her fethers. She plumeth when ſhe pulleth fethers of anie foule and caſteth them from her.
Similar: unplume
- 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.
Plume³
proper noun
- A surname
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: plumage, feather, fleece, preen, dress, soak, hook, pluck, primp, rob, overcharge, gazump, pride, congratulate, surcharge, quill
Translations
Every language
noun feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one used as a decoration — see also crest
| Español | penacho, copete |
|---|---|
| Português | pluma |
| Français | plume |
| Deutsch | Feder |
| Italiano | piuma |
| Română | fulg, pană |
| Русский | перо́ peró |
| עברית | פלומה |
noun cluster of feathers worn as an ornament
| Español | penacho, plumero |
|---|---|
| Français | panache, plumet |
| Deutsch | Federbusch, Federschmuck, Hutfeder |
| Italiano | cimiero, cresta, pennacchio |
| Română | mănunchi de pene, pămătuf (de pene) |
| Русский | плюма́ж pljumáž, султа́н sultán |
noun token of honour or prowess; that on which one prides oneself; a prize or reward
| Deutsch | Auszeichnung |
|---|
noun cloud formed by a dispersed substance fanning out or spreading
| Español | columna, nubarrón, nube |
|---|---|
| Français | panache, nuage |
| Deutsch | Abluftfahne, Abwasserfahne, -fahne, Rauchfahne, Rauchwolke, Schadstofffahne |
| Italiano | pennacchio, sbuffo |
| Русский | плюма́ж pljumáž |
noun upward spray of mist or water
| Français | panache, nuage |
|---|---|
| Italiano | pennacchio, sbuffo, schizzo, zaffata |
noun arc of glowing material erupting from the surface of a star
| Français | panache |
|---|---|
| Italiano | brillamento |
noun large and flexible panicle of an inflorescence
| Français | plumet |
|---|
noun furry tail of certain dog breeds
| Français | panache |
|---|
noun feathery gill of some crustaceans and molluscs
| Français | panache |
|---|
verb to adorn, cover, or furnish with feathers or plumes, or as if with feathers or plumes
| Português | emplumar |
|---|
verb to arrange and preen the feathers of
| Русский | чи́стить пёрышки čístitʹ pjóryški |
|---|
verb to congratulate (oneself) proudly — see also self-congratulate
| Português | emplumar-se |
|---|---|
| Русский | хвали́ться xvalítʹsja |
Talk about this word "plume." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plume. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. plume. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plume "plume." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plume.Cite this
@misc{plume_2026,
title = {plume},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plume},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
