from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Plume \Plume\, n. [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. {Fly}, v.]
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1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long,
conspicuous, or handsome feather.
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Wings . . . of many a colored plume. --Milton.
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2. (Zool.) An ornamental tuft of feathers.
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3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a
waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling
feathers.
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His high plume, that nodded o'er his head. --Dryden.
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4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides
himself; a prize or reward. "Ambitious to win from me some
plume." --Milton.
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5. (Bot.) A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence
resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large
ornamental grasses.
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{Plume bird} (Zool.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes,
especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and
some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of
Florida ({Ardea candidissima}).
{Plume grass}. (Bot)
(a) A kind of grass ({Erianthus saccharoides}) with the
spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in
swamps in the Southern United States.
(b) The still finer {Erianthus Ravenn[ae]} from the
Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended
to the whole genus.
{Plume moth} (Zool.), any one of numerous small, slender
moths, belonging to the family {Pterophorid[ae]}. Most of
them have the wings deeply divided into two or more
plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the
grapevine.
{Plume nutmeg} (Bot.), an aromatic Australian tree
({Atherosperma moschata}), whose numerous carpels are
tipped with long plumose persistent styles.
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