preen
verb (used with object)
(of animals, especially birds) to trim or dress (feathers, fur, etc.) with the beak or tongue.
had preened
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past perfectof preen.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To get ready for a show as important as this one, they had preened their pets for days.
From Time Magazine Archive
They became as familiar to me as any 'bus line, and I became a walking directory to the odd corners where she had preened her feathers for an hour or for a space of years.
From London Days A Book of Reminiscences by Arthur Warren
He had preened his feathers and done her bidding.
From The Lost Naval Papers by Bennet Copplestone
