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Prowl vs Preen - What's the difference?

prowl | preen |

As verbs the difference between prowl and preen

is that prowl is to rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; especially, to search in, as for prey or booty while preen is to pin; fasten.

As nouns the difference between prowl and preen

is that prowl is the act of prowling while preen is a forked tool used by clothiers for dressing cloth.

prowl

English

Verb

  • To rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; especially, to search in, as for prey or booty.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • He prowls each place, still in new colours decked.
    Watch the lioness prowling in the shrubbery for zebras.
    It's tough to sneak vandalism into Wikipedia as there are plenty of other users prowling the Recent Changes page.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 5 , author=Mark Ashenden , title=Wolverhampton 1 - 0 Chelsea , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=While McCarthy prowled the touchline barking orders, his opposite number watched on motionless and expressionless and, with 25 minutes to go, decided to throw on Nicolas Anelka for Kalou. }}
  • To idle; to go about aimlessly.
    • That dandy has nothing better to do than prowl around town all day in his pinstripe suit.
  • (obsolete) To collect by plunder.
    • to prowl money

    Derived terms

    * on the prowl * prowl car

    Derived terms

    * prowler

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial) The act of prowling.
    • I'm going on a midnight prowl .
    (Smart)

    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

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To pin; fasten.

    • 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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