plume

American  

[ploom] / plum /

noun

• plumes
  plural

1. a feather.

2. a large, long, or conspicuous feather.

   the brilliant plume of a peacock.

3. a soft, fluffy feather.

   the plume of an egret.

4. any plumose part or formation.

5. a feather, a tuft of feathers, or some substitute, worn as an ornament, as on a hat, helmet, etc.

6. a feather or featherlike token of honor or distinction, especially one worn on a helmet.

7. plumage.

8. a vertically or longitudinally moving, rising, or expanding fluid body, as of smoke or water.

9. a visible pattern of smoke resulting from emissions from a stack, flue, or chimney.

10. Also called mantle plume.  Geology. a deep-seated upwelling of magma within the earth's mantle.

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verb (used with object)

• plumes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plumed,
  past participle,  past
• pluming
  present participle

1. to furnish, cover, or adorn with plumes or feathers.

2. (of a bird) to preen (itself or its feathers).

3. to feel complacent satisfaction with (oneself ); pride (oneself ) (often followed by on orupon ).

   She sat before the mirror, pluming herself upon her beauty.

plume British  

/ pluːm /

noun

1. a feather, esp one that is large or ornamental

2. a feather or cluster of feathers worn esp formerly as a badge or ornament in a headband, hat, etc

3. biology any feathery part, such as the structure on certain fruits and seeds that aids dispersal by wind

4. something that resembles a plume

   a plume of smoke

5. a token or decoration of honour; prize

6. Also called: mantle plume.  geology a rising column of hot, low viscosity material within the earth's mantle, which is believed to be responsible for linear oceanic island chains and flood basalts

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verb

1. to adorn or decorate with feathers or plumes

2. (of a bird) to clean or preen (itself or its feathers)

3. to pride or congratulate (oneself)

plume Scientific  

/ plo̅o̅m /

1. A feather, especially a large one.

2. A body of magma that rises from the Earth's mantle into the crust.

3. ◆ If a plume rises to the Earth's surface, it erupts as lava.

4. ◆ If it remains below the Earth's surface, it eventually solidifies into a body of rock known as a pluton.

5. An area in air, water, soil, or rock containing pollutants released from a single source. A plume often spreads in the environment due to the action of wind, currents, or gravity.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• replume
  verb (used with object)
• plumeless
  adjective
• plumelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• plumes
  plural

Participles

• pluming
  present
• plumed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• plume
  simple
• plumes
  simple
• have plumed
  perfect
• has plumed
  perfect
• am pluming
  progressive
• are pluming
  progressive
• is pluming
  progressive
• have been pluming
  perfect progressive
• has been pluming
  perfect progressive

Past

• plumed
  simple
• had plumed
  perfect
• was pluming
  progressive
• were pluming
  progressive
• had been pluming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will plume
  simple
• will have plumed
  perfect
• will be pluming
  progressive
• will have been pluming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of plume

1350–1400; earlier plome, plume, Middle English plume < Middle French < Latin plūma soft feather (> Old English plūm-, in plūmfether downy feather)

Explanation

Think of a large, fluffy, colorful feather and you are imagining a plume, something that can be used decoratively, often in hats or vases, just as it creates a decorative element for the bird it comes from. We can trace the present word plume from the Old English word plūmfether. Going back further, we can find the Latin pluma meaning "feather" or "down." Plume is often applied to a large puff of smoke or any mass that spreads into the air from a single source. If you see a plume of smoke coming from the chimney, the fireplace is going. If you see a plume of smoke coming from the window, call the fire department.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plume plumes plumed pluming

The entire area has been blanketed by a thick plume of yellowish smoke, prompting the partial evacuation of two villages close by.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

“Hot and unstable conditions will result in an enhanced risk of large vertical plume growth, increasing the risk of extreme fire behavior for interior areas.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

"It's going to impact and its going to send up a huge plume of dust, maybe 50km into the air or more, and that's going to spread sideways over time," Bothwell said.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

They were at the beach with friends when, at around 4 p.m. on July 23, Papin saw a plume of smoke rising from the thick forested area around Biscarrosse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

In three minutes, this vertical plume had risen 35,000 feet.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Environmental specialist Peter Cunningham told AFP that potential sediment plumes could impact rocky shoreline habitats, crayfish spawning and breeding species.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Eyewitnesses recorded videos showing the blaze and plumes of smoke in the outskirts of the city as the fire continued to spread over the weekend.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

One night, a nearby pile of burning garbage sent plumes of smoke into the air, making her gag at the smell, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The whole film is hazy — literally — with plumes of mist rippling through soundstages so stripped of life they resemble the bones of a dream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The great volcanic plumes of Io reach so high that they are close to injecting their atoms directly into the space around Jupiter.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

A naming contest has been launched for the two eaglets born earlier this month to proud and plumed parents Jackie and Shadow, the widely followed bald eagle pair whose lives are streamed online.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

The service sees knights take part in a procession to the chapel dressed in green velvet robes and white plumed hats.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2023

“It’s pretty simple,” says Cowan, whose spring 2022 collection featured baby blue sequined bandanna tops and plumed headpieces in, yes, neon pink.

From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2022

The prime duty of the all-male corps, with its colorful uniforms and plumed helmets, is to protect the pontiff.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2021

A long gown and a plumed hat brushing both sides of the narrow stairs.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Stepping out of the truck, Avery looked up and saw flames and smoke pluming into the night sky.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2023

Elizabeth Leddy, 28, from Poole said: "The amount of smoke pluming out was like no heath fire I've seen before."

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2022

Crews arrived to find heavy fire and black smoke pluming from the single-level home.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2021

As we’re now seeing again in other places, the skyline was pluming with smoke, and the National Guard drove in.

From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2020

Following the voice, I found my father standing in the street in a soggy sweater, breath pluming before him like muffler exhaust on a cold morning.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs