preen English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) pren, from (etyl) ‘edge’, Albanian brez ‘belt, girdle’).
The verb is from (etyl) prenen, from .
Alternative forms
* (l) (dialectal)
Noun
( en noun)
A forked tool used by clothiers for dressing cloth.
(dialectal) pin
(dialectal) bodkin; brooch
Etymology 2
Variant of prune (by influence of preen above)
Attested in Chaucer (c. 1395) in the variants preyneth, prayneth, proyneth, prunyht, pruneth , from (etyl) .
Verb
( en verb)
(of birds) To groom; to trim or dress with the beak, as the feathers.
To show off, posture, or smarm.
* 1993 , Scott Simmon, The Films of D W Griffith
- His preening self-satisfaction, chest thrown forward as he settles into a chair in his mansion...
* 2004 , Jude Deveraux, Counterfeit Lady
- He preened under her compliments.
(UK, dialect, dated) To trim up, as trees.
- (Halliwell)
See also
* primp
Anagrams
*
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prune Etymology 1
From (etyl) prune, from (etyl) , a loanword from a language of Asia Minor.
Noun
( en noun)
(obsolete) A plum.
The dried, wrinkled fruit of certain species of plum.
(slang) An old woman, especially a wrinkly one.
Synonyms
* see
Derived terms
* German prune
* prune tree
* pruney
* South African prune
Etymology 2
From (etyl) 'to round-off the front'.
Verb
( prun)
To remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.
- A good grape grower will prune his vines once a year.
* Milton
- Our delightful task / To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers.
(figuratively) To cut down or shorten (by the removal of unnecessary material).
- to prune a budget, or an essay
* Francis Bacon
- taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be pruned and reformed
(obsolete) To preen; to prepare; to dress.
* Shakespeare
- His royal bird / Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak.
- (Dryden)
- (Spenser)
Derived terms
* (l)
* (l)
Anagrams
*
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