plumage
Americannoun
-
the entire feathery covering of a bird.
-
feathers collectively.
noun
Other Word Forms
- plumaged adjective
Etymology
Origin of plumage
1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French. See plume, -age
Explanation
If you like the looks of the color and pattern formed by a bird’s feathers, then you like its plumage. The word plumage traces back to the French word plume, meaning feather, and it’s a way of referring to all the feathers that form the color and patterns of a particular bird. For example, birdwatchers study illustrations of birds so that they can recognize, say, a golden hawk in flight by its plumage.
Vocabulary lists containing plumage
Words of a Feather: Unflappable Avian Vocabulary
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
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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.
The Franco-Belgian couturier referenced the extravagant plumage of a roseate spoonbill or the crested cockatoo alongside the humble crow, grey pigeon and magpie.
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
A lot of my research has been on dryland birds in New Mexico, many of which have drab gray or brown plumage.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025
Their black plumage, beady eyes, haunting cry and eager scavenging have earned them a prominent and creepy place in myth and folklore.
From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024
Janney’s former showgirl character populates her mansion with taxidermy birds who reflect the plumage of her old career and because, “she is kind of a prisoner in her birdcage of a house with her marriage.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2024
The owl’s pure-white plumage was broken only by a few brown bars on the wing and some dark spots on the crown.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
