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Plume vs Fume - What's the difference?

plume | fume |

As verbs the difference between plume and fume

is that plume is while fume is to.

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.

    fume

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gas or vapour/vapor that smells strongly or is dangerous to inhale. Fumes are solid particles formed by condensation from the gaseous state, e.g. metal oxides from volatilized metals. They can flocculate and coalesce. Their particle size is between 0.1 and 1 micron. (A micron is one millionth of a metre)
    • Don't stand around in there breathing the fumes while the adhesive cures.
  • * T. Warton
    • the fumes of new shorn hay
  • A material that has been vaporized from the solid state to the gas state and re-coalesced to the solid state.
  • Rage or excitement which deprives the mind of self-control.
    • the fumes of passion
    (South)
  • Anything unsubstantial or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • a show of fumes and fancies
  • The incense of praise; inordinate flattery.
  • * Burton
    • to smother him with fumes and eulogies

    Verb

    (fum)
  • To emit fumes.
  • * Milton
    • where the golden altar fumed
  • * Roscommon
    • Silenus lay, / Whose constant cups lay fuming to his brain.
  • To expose something (especially wood) to ammonia fumes in order to produce dark tints.
  • To feel or express great anger.
    • He's still fuming about the argument they had yesterday.
  • * Dryden
    • He frets, he fumes , he stares, he stamps the ground.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • Her mother did fret, and her father did fume .
  • To be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Keep his brain fuming .
  • To pass off in fumes or vapours.
  • * Cheyne
    • Their parts are kept from fuming away by their fixity.

    Usage notes

    * In the sense of strong-smelling or dangerous vapor, the noun is typically plural, as in the example. ----