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Billow vs Plume - What's the difference?

billow | plume |

As verbs the difference between billow and plume

is that billow is to surge or roll in billows while plume is .

As a noun billow

is a large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound.

billow

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound
  • * Cowper
    • whom the winds waft where'er the billows roll
  • * 18?? , :
    • And the brooklet has found the billow / Though they flowed so far apart.
  • * 1922 , :
    • Have the swirling sands engulfed them, on a noon of storm when the desert rose like the sea, and rolled its tawny billows on the walled gardens of the green and fragrant lands?

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To surge or roll in billows
  • * 1920 , , The Understanding Heart , Chapter II:
    • During the preceding afternoon a heavy North Pacific fog had blown in … Scudding eastward from the ocean, it had crept up and over the redwood-studded crests of the Coast Range mountains,
  • To swell out or bulge

    • References

    plume

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one.
  • * Milton
    • wings of many a coloured plume
  • The furry tail of certain dog breeds (e.g. Samoyed, Malteagle) that stands erect or curls over their backs.
  • A cluster of feathers worn as an ornament, especially on a helmet.
  • * Dryden
    • his high plume , that nodded o'er his head
  • A token of honour or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward.
  • * Milton
    • ambitious to win from me some plume
  • An upward spray of water or mist.
  • (geology) An upwelling of molten material from the Earth's mantle.
  • (astronomy) An arc of glowing material erupting from the surface of a star.
  • A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses.

    • Derived terms

    * plume grass * plume moth * plume nutmeg

    Verb

    (plum)
  • To preen and arrange the feathers of.
  • * Washington Irving
    • pluming her wings among the breezy bowers
  • To congratulate (oneself) proudly.
    • He plumes himself on his skill.
    (South)
  • To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel.
    • (Francis Bacon)
    (Dryden)
  • To adorn with feathers or plumes.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Farewell the plumed troop.
  • To form a plume.
    • Smoke plumed from his pipe then slowly settled towards the floor.
  • To write; to pen.
  • *
    • 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.