plumage

[ploo-mij]

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noun

the entire feathery covering of a bird.

feathers collectively.

Origin of plumage

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French. See plume, -age

Related formsplum·aged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for plumage

Contemporary Examples of plumage

Every sort of pelt, skin, or plumage was part of this collection.
Milan Fashion Week’s Big Finale: Versace and Dolce & Gabbana Wow, While Armani Falls Short
Robin Givhan
February 27, 2012
The Cowell of yesteryear has plenty of time to return in all his plumage.
Ellen's First Night
Richard Rushfield
February 9, 2010

Historical Examples of plumage

The tresses of this lady were shining and black, like the plumage of the raven.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
Only he had changed his plumage and she called him Friendship.
The Incomplete Amorist
E. Nesbit
One day may be grey like steel, and another grey like dove's plumage.
Alarms and Discursions
G. K. Chesterton
Its plumage is rose-coloured, the wings being brighter than any other part.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
Their plumage is quite beautiful, and so changeable that no painting can imitate it.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz

British Dictionary definitions for plumage

plumage

noun

the layer of feathers covering the body of a bird

Word Origin for plumage

C15: from Old French, from plume feather, from Latin plūma down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for plumage

late 14c., "feathers," from Old French plumage "plumage, appearance" (14c.), from plume (see plume (n.)).

Science definitions for plumage