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Definition of plumage - 4 dictionary results

plum⋅age

  [ploo-mij]
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–noun
1. the entire feathery covering of a bird.
2. feathers collectively.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < MF. See plume, -age

Related forms:
plumaged, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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plum·age   (plōō'mĭj)   
n.  

  1. The covering of feathers on a bird.

  2. Feathers used ornamentally.

  3. Elaborate dress; finery.


[Middle English, from Old French, from plume, plume, from Latin plūma.]
plum'aged adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

plumage 
1481, "feathers," from O.Fr. plumage (14c.), from plume (see plume).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

plumage

collective feathered covering of a bird. It provides protection, insulation, and adornment and also helps streamline and soften body contours, reducing friction in air and water. Plumage of the newborn chick is downy, called neossoptile; that which follows is termed teleoptile. Juvenal plumage, frequently distinct from that of the adult bird, is often drab, streaked, or spotted and thus camouflages the young

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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