plume

Etymology

From Latin pluma (“feather”) via Old French plume. In the late Roman armies plumbata were lead weighted darts (from the Latin word for lead) the feathers on the end of the darts became known as plumes.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈpluːm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːm

Noun

plume (plural plumes)

1. A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     wings […] of many a coloured plume

2. The furry tail of certain dog breeds (e.g. Samoyed, Malteagle) that stands erect or curls over their backs.
3. A cluster of feathers worn as an ornament, especially on a helmet.
   • 1800, Robert Bloomfield, The Farmer's Boy

     his high plume, that nodded o'er his head

4. A token of honour or prowess; that on which one prides oneself; a prize or reward.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     ambitious to win from me some plume

5. An area over which (or a space into which) a dispersed substance has spread or fanned out; a cloud.

   The pollutant creates a contaminant plume within an aquifer.

   After the explosion, a plume of smoke could be seen in the sky for miles around.

6. An upward spray of water or mist.
7. (geology) An upwelling of molten material from the Earth's mantle.
8. (astronomy) An arc of glowing material erupting from the surface of a star.
9. A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses.

Verb

plume (third-person singular simple present plumes, present participle pluming, simple past and past participle plumed)

1. (transitive) To preen and arrange the feathers of.
   • Washington Irving

     pluming her wings among the breezy bowers

2. (transitive) To congratulate (oneself) proudly.

   He plumes himself on his skill.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of South to this entry?)

3. To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)

4. To adorn with feathers or plumes.
   • Shakespeare

     Farewell the plumed troop.

5. To form a plume.

   Smoke plumed from his pipe then slowly settled towards the floor.

6. To write; to pen.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter XII, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, London: A[ndrew] Millar, OCLC 928184292, book VII:

     We mention this observation, not with any view of pretending to account for so odd a behaviour, but lest some critic should hereafter plume himself on discovering it.

Etymology

From Old French plume, from Latin plūma.

plume (1)

plumes (3)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /plym/

• plume

  (file)

Noun

plume f (plural plumes)

1. feather
2. quill
3. nib, the writing end of a fountain pen or a dip pen

Derived terms

• prendre sa plume

Verb

plume

1. first-person singular present indicative of plumer
2. third-person singular present indicative of plumer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of plumer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of plumer
5. second-person singular imperative of plumer

Further reading

• “plume” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

From Latin plūma.

Noun

plume f (plural plumis)

1. plume, feather

Etymology

From Latin plūma.

Noun

plume f (oblique plural plumes, nominative singular plume, nominative plural plumes)

1. feather; plume