I. ˈplüm 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
[
P plume 2a
]
II. transitive verb
( plumed ; plum·ing )
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)