Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The covering of feathers on a bird.
- noun Feathers used ornamentally.
- noun Elaborate dress; finery.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The feathery covering of birds; feathers collectively; ptilosis. See
feather and pterylosis.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) The entire clothing of a bird.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Feathers , either covering abird or usedornamentally - noun
Finery orelaborate dress .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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He also found that as Pileated Woodpeckers fly away from the camera, their plumage is hard to distinguish from the Ivory-billed Woodpecker's.
Archive 2007-03-01 2007
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Terrestrial birds whose plumage is superficially similar to that of fuzzy small theropods are notorious for harbouring ectoparasites, with kiwis in particular being reported to crawl with numerous fleas, ticks, feather mites and lice (Kleinpaste 1991).
Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006
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Terrestrial birds whose plumage is superficially similar to that of fuzzy small theropods are notorious for harbouring ectoparasites, with kiwis in particular being reported to crawl with numerous fleas, ticks, feather mites and lice (Kleinpaste 1991).
The war on parasites: an oviraptorosaur’s eye view Darren Naish 2006
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It is a land of supremely Graceful and refreshingly aromatic gum trees; a land of kaleidoscopic wild flower pageantry; of beautiful birds rich in plumage and song.
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In Florida, cruel men shoot the mother bird. on their nests while they are rearing their young. because their plumage is prettiest at that time.
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The plumage is a deep slate grey, with a tinge towards bluish-purple, and a tuft of fine delicate feathers gives it its name of crown pigeon.
Insulinde: Experiences of a Naturalist's Wife in the Eastern Archipelago 1887
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If the form to be worked necessitates radiation in the stitching, there results a texture something like the feathering of a bird's breast (Illustration 85), whence the name plumage-stitch, another term describing not so much a stitch as the use of a stitch.
Art in Needlework A Book about Embroidery Mary Buckle 1877
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The fish formed the main staple of their food, helped out by the birds, which were, for the most part, of the pigeon tribe, though larger and differing much in plumage from the English species.
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These young males are identified by their plumage, which is predominantly red.
Armageddon on the Streets Steve Perry 2009
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Sickness in birds may be diagnosed from their plumage, which is ruffled when they are sickly instead of lying smooth as when they are well.
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