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)
Synonyms
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
Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
This results in high river plume pushing into the Gulf and nudging the tuna farther offshore, where salinity levels remain favorable for predators and forage.
—David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024
Further in the distance, a large plume of smoke rises.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Critics say that noise could disrupt marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, while plumes of sediment, potentially containing toxic compounds, kicked up by equipment on the seabed may disperse, harming midwater ecosystems, according to recent research.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Gleaming white feathers covered its head, neck and chest, yielding to black plumes on its wings.
—Safak Timur Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Officers batter protesters with plastic shields, and noxious plumes rise from the street where tear-gas canisters have been deployed.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Witnesses told of leaping over fire, some with their clothes melting, to escape the blaze, sending flames and a plume of black smoke billowing into the night sky.
—Guy Faulconbridge and Gleb Stolyarov, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Maryland: Live Updates About the Incident in Baltimore
Moments after the crash, a plume of smoke can be seen rising into the air from near the ship as the right side of the bridge continues to topple into the water.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
High above her a column of black smoke plumed over the trees.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 3 May 2023
Not known for subtlety, Derby hats this year offered a range of colors and fabrics, from elegant to loud, floral to plumed and everything in between.
—The Styles Desk, New York Times, 6 May 2023
Crist explained to The Enquirer that acid rain often becomes a concern when there are continuous emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which typically originate from power plants with large smokestacks that push smoke plumes upward at high velocities.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2023
The initial eruption produced a ~15 kilometers plume that towered over the region and dumped upwards of 40 centimeters of ash and larger volcanic debris on some areas.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2015
Its most interesting ideas plume briefly, only to fizzle out like far-off firecrackers.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 13 June 2022
The map becomes distorted, and the insect no longer associates that plume with the flower.
—Jennifer Clare Ball, Wired, 25 Feb. 2022
Toilet plume aside, Winner says the steel surfaces, doorknobs, and toilet handles in a public restroom pose the greatest risk.
—Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 16 June 2020
Noun
Buildings had been felled by airstrikes, sending up plumes of smoke.
—Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
This results in high river plume pushing into the Gulf and nudging the tuna farther offshore, where salinity levels remain favorable for predators and forage.
—David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024
Further in the distance, a large plume of smoke rises.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Critics say that noise could disrupt marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, while plumes of sediment, potentially containing toxic compounds, kicked up by equipment on the seabed may disperse, harming midwater ecosystems, according to recent research.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Gleaming white feathers covered its head, neck and chest, yielding to black plumes on its wings.
—Safak Timur Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Officers batter protesters with plastic shields, and noxious plumes rise from the street where tear-gas canisters have been deployed.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Witnesses told of leaping over fire, some with their clothes melting, to escape the blaze, sending flames and a plume of black smoke billowing into the night sky.
—Guy Faulconbridge and Gleb Stolyarov, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Maryland: Live Updates About the Incident in Baltimore
Moments after the crash, a plume of smoke can be seen rising into the air from near the ship as the right side of the bridge continues to topple into the water.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
Not just the confetti, but also pyro in the form of fireballs pluming out from the sides of the stage and sparks showering down from the tops of it.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
High above her a column of black smoke plumed over the trees.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 3 May 2023
Not known for subtlety, Derby hats this year offered a range of colors and fabrics, from elegant to loud, floral to plumed and everything in between.
—The Styles Desk, New York Times, 6 May 2023
Crist explained to The Enquirer that acid rain often becomes a concern when there are continuous emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which typically originate from power plants with large smokestacks that push smoke plumes upward at high velocities.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2023
The initial eruption produced a ~15 kilometers plume that towered over the region and dumped upwards of 40 centimeters of ash and larger volcanic debris on some areas.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2015
Its most interesting ideas plume briefly, only to fizzle out like far-off firecrackers.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 13 June 2022
The map becomes distorted, and the insect no longer associates that plume with the flower.
—Jennifer Clare Ball, Wired, 25 Feb. 2022
Toilet plume aside, Winner says the steel surfaces, doorknobs, and toilet handles in a public restroom pose the greatest risk.
—Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 16 June 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plume.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Plume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plume. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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
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