Library / English Dictionary

PREEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (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 "preen" 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

Sentence examples:

They preen

They preen themselves

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement

Synonyms:

congratulate; preen

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

crow; gloat; triumph (dwell on with satisfaction)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

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 "preen" 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

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