preen

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈprēn 

preened; preening; preens

transitive verb

1

of a bird : to groom with the bill especially by rearranging the barbs and barbules of the feathers and by distributing oil from the uropygial gland

2

: to dress or smooth (oneself) up : primp

3

: to pride or congratulate (oneself) on an achievement

intransitive verb

1

: to make oneself sleek

2

: to behave or speak with obvious pride or self-satisfaction

preener noun

preen

2 of 3

noun

1

dialectal, chiefly British : pin

2

dialectal, chiefly British : brooch

preen

3 of 3

verb (2)

preened; preening; preens

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland

: pin

Did you know?

Preen hatched in 14th-century Middle English, and early on it displayed various spelling forms, including prenen, prayne, prene, and preyne. The word traces to the Anglo-French puroindre, or proindre, linking pur-, meaning "thoroughly," with uindre, oindre, meaning "to anoint or rub." One of the first writers known to apply preen to the human act of primping was Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales: "He preens himself and prunes and combs his curls / To take the fancy of this queen of girls." Centuries later (sometime during the late 19th century), the prideful meaning of preen took flight, joining bird-related verbs plume, which was being used with the meaning "to pride or congratulate (oneself)," and peacock, a word still used today to mean "to show off."

Examples of preen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Advertisement The supercilious elder sisters preened. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024

The WAGs of today are just as polished and preened as the likes of Victoria Beckham, Abbey Clancy, Cheryl Cole, and Coleen Rooney were back then—we’re just more likely to see them on Instagram or TikTok and not beside the pitch. —Hannah Coates, Vogue, 17 June 2024

Meanwhile, countries across the world are again suffering an onslaught of demagogues, many of them preening buffoons who have recast themselves as visionary strongmen—much as D’Annunzio did. —Pankaj Mishra, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016

But in the 18th and 19th centuries, the automaton — an intricate mechanical device that could take the form of a preening silver swan or an organ-playing doll — was a popular source of entertainment and wonder. —Megan Conway, New York Times, 9 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English prenen, alteration of proynen, prunen, from Anglo-French puroindre, proindre, from pur- thoroughly + uindre, oindre to anoint, rub, from Latin unguere — more at purchase entry 1, ointment

Noun

Middle English prene, from Old English prēon; akin to Middle High German pfrieme awl

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1572, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

preen

verb

ˈprēn

1

: to groom with the bill

a bird preening its feathers

2

: to make one's appearance neat and tidy

preened in front of the mirror