preen
verb (used with object)
(of animals, especially birds) to trim or dress (feathers, fur, etc.) with the beak or tongue.
preened
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past participleof preen.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof preen.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
preenverb (used with object)(of animals, especially birds) to trim or dress (feathers, fur, etc.) with the beak or tongue.
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.
Sporting a flipped bouffant hairstyle and a floral wiggle dress that harked back to the 1967 film “Valley of the Dolls,” she’s not just immaculately preened for her inaugural L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
Some guests — who preened in eye-popping colors, aggressive patterns, velvet slippers and stiletto heels — were art-struck.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2022
The performances viewers see are not mimed to a studio recording that was made in advance and preened to perfection with editing.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2021
He preened about how scientific experts marveled at his grasp of the complex details of virology and the way supposedly awestruck doctors asked, "How do you know so much?"
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2020
On the far side of the pond, peacocks strutted and preened.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
