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

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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)

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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 residents have co-opted Kim's poetic nom de plume "Su-wha" for their moribund tree.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Those chlorine atoms then reacted with methane in the plume, helping destroy some of the methane released during the eruption.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Video from the airport showed the plane landing before disappearing from view, followed by a plume of black smoke.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

Cars and batteries and plastics and metals and other things were incinerated, and a toxic plume traveled for miles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

A plume of bright-green gas billowed across the top of the monstrous horde like the spray from a poison riot hose.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Pasadena-based nonprofit Carbon Mapper, which partners with the state, can now check twice as often for climate-heating methane plumes, improving the emerging picture of this invisible gas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Video shared on social media showed a crashed plane with the Amazon logo on the tail engulfed in plumes of black smoke.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

While roaring fires and vast plumes of smoke proved spectacular, a more creeping disaster was also spreading: drought.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Sure, the production has all the paraphernalia a major pop tour - big sets, plumes of smoke, inspired choreography - but there are long stretches where it's just Grande on stage with her band.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Walking up the driveway to the house, stepping over potholes full of rainwater, Joe noticed his father’s Franklin, its engine running, plumes of white exhaust billowing from the tailpipe.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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

People shed the cocoons of their regular lives and emerge plumed in feathers and sequins.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

We were too far away, or were seated behind the choir, or had our view blocked by a guardsman in a plumed helmet.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2023

In a real fairy tale, her tea kettle would turn into a carriage and those dogs would become plumed white horses.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 12, 2022

He trotted up and down the ranks, his plumed helmet gleaming, his legs decked in bronze greaves.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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

“I’m not very good,” he laughs, his breath pluming the air.

From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 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

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