Library / English Dictionary

PLUME

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

Synonyms:

feather; plumage; plume

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("plume" is a kind of...):

body covering (any covering for the body or a body part)

animal material (material derived from animals)

Meronyms (parts of "plume"):

vane; web (the flattened weblike part of a feather consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft)

calamus; quill; shaft (the hollow spine of a feather)

Meronyms (substance of "plume"):

melanin (insoluble pigments that account for the color of e.g. skin and scales and feathers)

ceratin; keratin (a fibrous scleroprotein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in horny tissues such as hair, feathers, nails, and hooves)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plume"):

down; down feather (soft fine feathers)

aftershaft (a supplementary feather (usually small) on the underside of the base of the shaft of some feathers in some birds)

contour feather (feathers covering the body of an adult bird and determining its shape)

alula; bastard wing; spurious wing (tuft of small stiff feathers on the first digit of a bird's wing)

marabou (the downy feathers of marabou storks are used for trimming garments)

hackle (long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and pheasants)

flight feather; pinion; quill; quill feather (any of the larger wing or tail feathers of a bird)

scapular (a feather covering the shoulder of a bird)

Holonyms ("plume" is a part of...):

bird (warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings)

Derivation:

plume (clean with one's bill)

plume (deck with a plume)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A feather or cluster of feathers worn as an ornament

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("plume" is a kind of...):

adornment (a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plume"):

aigret; aigrette (a long plume (especially one of egret feathers) worn on a hat or a piece of jewelry in the shape of a plume)

panache (a feathered plume on a helmet)

Derivation:

plume (deck with a plume)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness

Example:

grass with large plumes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("plume" is a kind of...):

form; shape (the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Dress or groom with elaborate care

Example:

She likes to dress when going to the opera

Synonyms:

dress; plume; preen; primp

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "plume" is one way to...):

attire; deck out; deck up; dress up; fancy up; fig out; fig up; get up; gussy up; overdress; prink; rig out; tog out; tog up; trick out; trick up (put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive)

Verb group:

dress; get dressed (put on clothes)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Form a plume

Example:

The engine was pluming black smoke

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "plume" is one way to...):

form; shape (give shape or form to)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Clean with one's bill

Example:

The birds preened

Synonyms:

plume; preen

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "plume" is one way to...):

arrange; set up (put into a proper or systematic order)

clean; make clean (make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plume (the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Deck with a plume

Example:

a plumed helmet

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "plume" is one way to...):

bedeck; bedight; deck (decorate)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plume (the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds)

plume (a feather or cluster of feathers worn as an ornament)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be proud of

Example:

He prides himself on making it into law school

Synonyms:

congratulate; plume; pride

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "plume" is one way to...):

experience; feel (undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Rip off; ask an unreasonable price

Synonyms:

fleece; gazump; hook; overcharge; pluck; plume; rob; soak; surcharge

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "plume" is one way to...):

cheat; chisel; rip off (deprive somebody of something by deceit)

"Plume" entails doing...:

bill; charge (demand payment)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plume"):

extort; gouge; rack; squeeze; wring (obtain by coercion or intimidation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Credits

 Context examples: 

Despite a recent decline in earthquakes, Ubinas Volcano erupted an ash plume on April 28, 2014.

(Fresh lava arrives at Ubinas volcano, NASA)

Dark and murky was it all, but hope mounts high in youth, and it ever fluttered over all the turmoil of his thoughts like a white plume amid the shock of horsemen.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They've also noted sudden spikes of methane, but the science team knows very little about how long these transient plumes last or why they're different from the seasonal patterns.

(Curiosity Detects Unusually High Methane Levels, NASA)

It has erect triangular-shaped ears and a heavily plumed tail curled over the back.

(American Eskimo Dog, NCI Thesaurus)

The Alaskan Malamute is a large, strong dog with a thick, coarse double coat and a plumed tail held over the back.

(Alaskan Malamute, NCI Thesaurus)

"We were expecting our data to show that the volcano was a mantle plume formation - an upwelling from the deeper mantle - just like it is in Hawaii," Gazel said.

(Scientists discover a new way volcanoes form, NSF)

No one knew that, so the fox said: I have a fine long bushy tail, which almost looks like a plume of red feathers.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Blown into space with the rising plume emitted through those fractures, the ice grains were then analyzed by Cassini's CDA.

(New Organic Compounds Found in Enceladus Ice Grains, NASA)

They plume themselves on their gentility there, I can tell you, if that's any satisfaction.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"None at all, if you please, she doesn't wish her name to appear and has no nom de plume," said Jo, blushing in spite of herself.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)