plumage

noun

plum·​age ˈplü-mij How to pronounce plumage (audio)
: the feathers of a bird
plumaged adjective

Examples of plumage in a Sentence

The peacock has colorful plumage.
Recent Examples on the Web As the parents feed their chicks the crop milk, they are drained of their color—so much so that their plumage turns a pale pink or white! Jon Haworth, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2024 Experts had previously missed the feather fossils because plumage was thought to have been too delicate to be preserved in the same sandstone wrapped around the dinosaur’s bones. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024 Their plumage is predominantly black and white, similar to penguins, but their bright beaks and orange feet set them apart. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024 But in the coming months, his baby feathers will be replaced by black, white and orange plumage. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plumage 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plumage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from plume feather — more at plume

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plumage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near plumage

Cite this Entry

“Plumage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plumage. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plumage

noun
plum·​age ˈplü-mij How to pronounce plumage (audio)
: the feathers of a bird

More from Merriam-Webster on plumage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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