Feather vs Plume - What's the difference?
feather | plume |
A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display.
* 1873 , W. K. Brooks, "A Feather", Popular Science Monthly , volume IV, page 687
* 1914 , , The Beasts of Tarzan , chapter V
* 2000 , C. J. Puotinen, The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care? , page 362
Long hair on the lower legs of a dog or horse, especially a draft horse, notably the Clydesdale breed. Narrowly only the rear hair.
One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow.
A longitudinal strip projecting from an object to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in another object and thereby prevent displacement sideways but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.
Kind; nature; species (from the proverbial phrase "birds of a feather").
* Shakespeare
One of the two shims of the three-piece stone-splitting tool known as (plug and feather) or plug and feathers; the feathers are placed in a borehole and then a wedge is driven between them, causing the stone to split.
The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water.
To cover or furnish with feathers.
* L'Estrange
To arrange in the manner or appearance of feathers.
(ambitransitive, rowing) To rotate the oars while they are out of the water to reduce wind resistance.
(aeronautics) To streamline the blades of an aircraft's propeller by rotating them perpendicular to the axis of the propeller when the engine is shut down so that the propeller doesn't windmill as the aircraft flies.
(carpentry, engineering) To finely shave or bevel an edge.
(computer graphics) To intergrade or blend the pixels of an image with those of a background or neighboring image.
To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe.
* Sir Walter Scott
To render light as a feather; to give wings to.
* Loveday
To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.
* Francis Bacon
To tread, as a cock.
A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one.
* Milton
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
A token of honour or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward.
* Milton
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.
To preen and arrange the feathers of.
* Washington Irving
To congratulate (oneself) proudly.
To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel.
To adorn with feathers or plumes.
* Shakespeare
To form a plume.
To write; to pen.
*
As nouns the difference between feather and plume
is that feather is a branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display while plume is a feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one.As verbs the difference between feather and plume
is that feather is to cover or furnish with feathers while plume is to preen and arrange the feathers of.feather
English
(wikipedia feather)Alternative forms
* fetherNoun
(en noun)- Notice, too, that the shaft is not straight, but bent so that the upper surface of the feather is convex, and the lower concave.
- Big fellows they were, all of them, their barbaric headdresses and grotesquely painted faces, together with their many metal ornaments and gorgeously coloured feathers , adding to their wild, fierce appearance.
- Nesting birds pluck some of their own feathers' to line the nest, but ' feather plucking in pet birds is entirely different.
- I am not of that feather to shake off / My friend when he must need me.
- (Knight)
Synonyms
* (horse hair) feathers, feathering, horsefeathersAntonyms
* (horse hair at rear of lower legs) spatsDerived terms
{{der3, afterfeather , birds of a feather , contour feather , featherback , featherbed , featherbedding , featherbrain , feather-brained , featherdown , feather duster , featherhead , featherily , featheriness , feathering float , feathering screw , feathering strip , feathering wheel , feather in one's cap , feather in one's hat , featherless , featherlight , featherlike , feather pen , feathertail , featherweight , featherwood , feather wool , featherwork , feathery , fine feathers make fine birds , flight feather , horsefeathers , light as a feather}}Verb
(en verb)- An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow feathered from her own wing.
- The stylist feathered my hair.
- After striking the bird, the pilot feathered the left, damaged engine's propeller.
- A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow ravines.
- The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedious hours.
- They stuck not to say that the king cared not to plume his nobility and people to feather himself.
- (Dryden)
- (Dryden)
Derived terms
* feathered * feather one's nest * feather one's own nest * tar and featherReferences
*Horse Glossary*
Horses Glossary*
Cowboy Dictionary] – [http://www.cowboyway.com/Dictionary/Letter-F.htm Cowboy F: Feather
Anagrams
* *plume
English
Noun
(en noun)- wings of many a coloured plume
- his high plume , that nodded o'er his head
- ambitious to win from me some plume
Derived terms
* plume grass * plume moth * plume nutmegVerb
(plum)- pluming her wings among the breezy bowers
- He plumes himself on his skill.
- (South)
- (Francis Bacon)
- (Dryden)
- Farewell the plumed troop.
- Smoke plumed from his pipe then slowly settled towards the floor.
- 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.