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Origin and history of plume

plume(n.)

late 14c., "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from Old French plume "soft feather, down; feather bed," and directly from Latin pluma "a small soft feather, down; the first beard," from PIE root *pleus- "to pluck; a feather, fleece" (source of Old English fleos "fleece"). Meaning "a long streamer of smoke, etc." is attested from 1878.

plume(v.)

late 14c., "to pluck, strip," from plume (n.). From mid-15c. as "to adorn with plumes." Meaning "to dress the feathers" is from 1702. Related: Plumed; pluming.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to plume

plumage(n.)

late 14c., "the feathery covering of birds; feathers collectively," from Old French plumage "plumage, appearance" (14c.), from plume (see plume (n.)). Related: Plumaged.

plumassier(n.)

"dealer in ornamental feathers, one who prepares plumes for ornamental purposes," 1590s, from French plumassier, from plumasse "plume of feather," from plume (see plume (n.)). Earlier was plumer "dealer in feathers" (late 13c.).

plumed(adj.)

"adorned with plumes," mid-15c., past-participle adjective from plume (v.).

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    pride
    Middle English prede, from late Old English pryto, Kentish prede, Mercian pride "unreasonable self-esteem, especially as one of the deadly sins; haughtiness, overbearing treatment of others; pomp, love of display," from prud (see proud (adj.)). There is debate whether Scandinavia
    congratulate
    "address with expressions of sympathetic pleasure," 1540s, from Latin congratulatus, past participle of congratulari "wish joy," from assimilated form of com "together, with" (see con-) + gratulari "give thanks, show joy," from gratus "agreeable" (from suffixed form of PIE root *
    feather
    Old English feðer "a feather; a pen," in plural, "wings," from Proto-Germanic *fethro (source also of Old Saxon fethara, Old Norse fioþr, Swedish fjäder, Middle Dutch vedere, Dutch veder, Old High German fedara, German Feder), from PIE *pet-ra-, from root *pet- "to rush, to fly."
    pen
    stem at the base of a feather," from Old French pene "quill pen; feather" (12c.) and directly from Latin penna "a feather, plume...In later French, this word means only "long feather of a bird," while the equivalent of English plume is used for "writing...Pen name "fictitious name assumed by an author" is by 1857 (French nom de plume was used in English from 1823)....
    thrush
    An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,       In blast-beruffled plume, Had chosen thus...
    nom
    Nom de plume (1823) "pseudonym used by a writer," literally "pen name," is a phrase invented in English in imitation of nom...
    plum
    "fruit of the genus Prunus," Middle English ploume, from Old English plume "plum, plum tree," from an early Germanic borrowing...
    arrange
    late 14c., arengen, "draw up a line of battle," from Old French arengier "put in a row, put in battle order" (12c., Modern French arranger), from a- "to" (see ad-) + rangier "set in a row" (Modern French ranger), from rang "rank," from Frankish *hring or a similar Germanic source
    wring
    Old English wringan "press, strain, wring, twist" (class III strong verb; past tense wrang, past participle wrungen), from Proto-Germanic *wreng- (source also of Old English wringen "to wring, press out," Old Frisian wringa, Middle Dutch wringhen, Dutch wringen "to wring," Old Hi
    teach
    Old English tæcan (past tense tæhte, past participle tæht) "to show, point out, declare, demonstrate," also "to give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn; persuade," from Proto-Germanic *taikijan "to show" (source also of Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Goth

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