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.