Illustration of plume
- P plume 2a
1
: a feather of a bird: such as
a
: a large conspicuous or showy feather
b
c
: plumage
d
: a cluster of distinctive feathers
2
a
: material (such as a feather, cluster of feathers, or a tuft of hair) worn as an ornament
b
: a token of honor or prowess : prize
3
: something resembling a feather (as in shape, appearance, or lightness): such as
a
: a plumose appendage of a plant
b
: an elongated and usually open and mobile column or band (as of smoke, exhaust gases, or blowing snow)
c
: an animal structure having a main shaft bearing many hairs or filamentous parts
especially
: a full bushy tail
d
: any of several columns of molten rock rising from the earth's lower mantle that are theorized to drive tectonic plate movement and to underlie hot spots
plumed; pluming
1
a
: to provide or deck with feathers
b
: to array showily
2
: to indulge (oneself) in pride with an obvious or vain display of self-satisfaction
3
of a bird
a
: to preen and arrange the feathers of (itself)
b
: to preen and arrange (feathers)
Examples of plume in a Sentence
Noun
a hat with bright ostrich plumes
the Nobel Prize for Literature is the plume that all authors covet
Verb
that jerk plumes himself on his supposed athletic skills
Recent Examples on the Web
September 19, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
And then there are the wildfires, fueled by hotter and drier conditions, which are now sending massive plumes of smoke across entire continents, spiking emergency visits in places far from the flames.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025
This was a monster mash in the coolest sense, a place where feather plumes and black lace bodices co-exist with billowing capes and knee-high marching boots.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for plume
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Then, a fireball and a huge plume of smoke.
—September 19, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
And then there are the wildfires, fueled by hotter and drier conditions, which are now sending massive plumes of smoke across entire continents, spiking emergency visits in places far from the flames.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
If this ends up on Monteverde’s menu, catch me there tomorrow, a Road-Runner puff of dust pluming behind.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025
This was a monster mash in the coolest sense, a place where feather plumes and black lace bodices co-exist with billowing capes and knee-high marching boots.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for plume
Cite this Entry
“Plume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plume. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plume
1 of 2 noun1
: a feather of a bird
especially
: one that is large and showy
2
a
: a feather or tuft of feathers worn as an ornament (as on a hat)
b
: a deserved prize or reward
3
: something that resembles a feather (as in shape or lightness)
a plume of smoke
plumy
adjective
ˈplü-mē
plume
2 of 2 verb
plumed; pluming
1
: to provide or adorn with feathers
2
: to act with too much pride in oneself
plumed himself on his swimming skill
3
: to arrange the feathers of : preen
a bird pluming itself
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share