plumage
Americannoun
-
the entire feathery covering of a bird.
-
feathers collectively.
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
He was in molt, a sketchy splotch of red and black while he waited for his new plumage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The larger body size seen in the giant wrens evolved alongside other island related traits, including differences in plumage, body proportions, and song patterns.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
The birds' plumage was used to decorate women's clothes and headdresses, while eggs were being taken for various reasons, including collectors.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
She built an enormous parrot at the tip of her B stage, and changed into some red and blue plumage of her own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
She moved in jerky birdlike twitches, her coffee-brown eyes darting restlessly, her fingers clawing at her plumage, her earlobes, her shaggy red hair.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
