plume
plume
Pronunciation
Phonetic Information for "Plume"
The IPA phonetic spelling for the English word plume is /pluːm/.
Syllable Breakdown
The word plume has only one syllable.
The sounds in this single syllable are:
/p/: Voiceless bilabial stop (like the 'p' in pen).
/l/: Alveolar lateral approximant (like the 'l' in light).
/uː/: Close back rounded long vowel (like the 'oo' in food).
/m/: Bilabial nasal (like the 'm' in man).
Word Form Variations
The term plume can function as both a noun and a verb.
The common word form variations are:
Singular Noun: plume
Plural Noun: plumes
Base Verb (Infinitive/Present Tense - except 3rd person singular): plume
Present Tense (3rd person singular): plumes
Present Participle (Gerund): pluming
Past Tense: plumed
Past Participle: plumed
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A large, conspicuous feather (often ornamental) used for decoration, especially on a hat, helmet, or article of clothing.
Synonyms: feather, crest, aigrette, panache
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific meaning, as it denotes an object.)
Definition 2: A column or cloud of a substance (like smoke, steam, dust, or water) that rises into the air in a tall, elongated, and often graceful shape.
Synonyms: cloud, column, spire, spray, stream, effusion
Antonyms: hollow, depression, trough, absence
Definition 3: A prize distinction, or something that is a source of pride or honor.
Synonyms: trophy, badge of honor, laurel, glory
Antonyms: disgrace, stain, discredit, ignominy
Verb
Definition 1 (Transitive): To dress or preen (oneself or one's feathers) with attention and care; often used figuratively to mean to congratulate or take pride in oneself.
Synonyms: preen, groom, primp, vaunt, boast
Antonyms: humble, demean, deprecate, disparage
Definition 2 (Intransitive): To rise into the air in a tall, column-like shape, typically referring to smoke, steam, or other gaseous/fine particulate matter.
Synonyms: stream, billow, rise, ascend
Antonyms: sink, subside, settle, descend
Examples of Use
As a Noun (Column/Cloud of Substance)
Newspaper/Online Publication (Environmental): "The massive plume of smoke from the California wildfires drifted eastward, causing poor air quality hundreds of miles away." (Associated Press, September 2020)
Scientific/Journal Article: "Researchers are using drones to track the deep-sea methane plume emanating from the hydrothermal vent system."
Book/Literature: "He stared up at the graceful plume of steam that perpetually escaped the cooling towers of the power plant."
As a Noun (Feather/Ornament)
Historical/General Discourse: "The Queen's guard wore helmets topped with magnificent white plumes during the royal procession."
Entertainment/Fashion: "Costume designers replicated the iconic tri-corner hat with a long ostrich plume for the historical drama film."
As a Verb (To Rise/To Spread)
Newspaper/Online Publication (Weather/Natural Disaster): "Ash and gas continued to plume from the volcano's crater days after the initial eruption." (Reuters, March 2021)
Scientific/Technical: "The warm, nutrient-rich water will plume upward from the pipe, affecting the surface ecosystem."
As a Verb (To Preen/To Show Pride)
Book/Literature/General Discourse: "He plumed himself on having secured the difficult deal, seeing it as a personal victory."
Entertainment/General: "The celebrity plumed after receiving a standing ovation, soaking in the thunderous applause."
10 Famous Quotes Using Plume
"All men plume themselves on the improvement of society, and no man improves." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!" (Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven)
"She made three paces thro' the room, / She saw the water-lily bloom, / She saw the helmet and the plume, / She look'd down to Camelot." (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Lady of Shalott)
"Sir Plume, of amber snuff-box justly vain, / And the nice conduct of a clouded cane." (Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock)
"Great Duke of Lancaster, I come to thee / From plume-plucked Richard, who with willing soul / Adopts thee heir..." (William Shakespeare, Richard II)
"He will plume himself on it, that is the most he will do." (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina)
"Thus protected, the wading-bird population rebounded to near its original level. Then, in the 1940s and after, the character of the Everglades itself began to change." (Quoted in National Park Service literature discussing plume-hunting)
"Extending his hands from his bed, Plume was astonished not to feel the wall: 'Well,' he concluded, 'the ants must have eaten it away.'" (Henri Michaux, Plume)
"The branches plumed with snow, -- Alas! in Winter, dead and dark, / Where can poor Robin go?" (William Henry Davies, Robin Redbreast)
"And she will touch the plumey lashes / With bronze and glint of gold, / And just as much of sheen and shine / As painter's brush may hold." (Clara Doty Bates, Little Barbara)
Etymology
The word plume has a straightforward history rooted in Latin, and its meaning hasn't strayed far from its origin.
Origin and Journey
The Latin Root: The word begins with the Latin term plūma, which simply meant "a small soft feather," down, or the soft part of a feather. This Latin word is likely related to the older term peta- (to fly).
Old French: Plūma passed into Old French as plume (pronounced roughly plüm). In French, it maintained the primary meaning of a feather, but often referred to the whole feather, particularly a large or showy one, or sometimes even a quill pen (since quills are large feathers).
Middle English: The French word was borrowed directly into English during the Middle English period (around the 13th and 14th centuries).
First Known Use and Meaning
The first known use of plume in English, dating back to the 14th century, was directly related to its original French and Latin meanings:
Meaning: A feather (especially a large or ornamental one).
Context: It was immediately used to describe the decorative feathers worn on a helmet or hat as a badge of honor or rank, giving us the sense of "a plume of honor."
The derived meaning of plume as a verb, meaning "to arrange or preen one's feathers" (and later, figuratively, "to take pride in oneself"), also followed soon after, around the 15th century, stemming from how a bird uses its beak to tidy its plumes. The modern use describing a column of smoke or vapor didn't appear until much later, in the 17th century, drawing an analogy between the shape of a feather rising from a bird's head and a column of smoke rising into the air.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Plume
Common Phrases and Figurative Uses
To plume oneself (on something): A figurative phrase meaning to take great pride or satisfaction in an accomplishment, often implying a slight sense of vanity or self-congratulation.
Example: She plumed herself on having organized the entire event single-handedly.
A plume of smoke/ash/steam: The most common descriptive phrase, referring to a tall, vertical column or column-like cloud rising into the air.
Example: We saw a tall, black plume of smoke rising from the horizon.
Feather in one's plume: (Less common than the synonymous "feather in one's cap") A small trophy, honor, or distinction that one can be proud of.
Nom de plume: A French phrase borrowed into English, meaning a pen name or pseudonym used by a writer.
Example: Mark Twain was the nom de plume of Samuel Clemens.
Descriptive and Supplemental Phrases
With a graceful plume: Used descriptively to reference a bird's tail or crest that fans out elegantly.
The icy plume of Enceladus: A scientific phrase referring to the jets of water vapor and ice particles erupting from the moon Enceladus.
To ruffle one's plumes: (Lesser-known) To make someone angry, annoyed, or to disturb their composure. (Similar to "to ruffle one's feathers.")
To prune one's plume: (Original/Descriptive) To make oneself look proper and dignified; to focus on one’s appearance or status (like a bird preening).
An environmental plume: A technical or journalistic phrase referring to a spreading mass of pollutants (like oil or chemicals) moving through the air or groundwater.
A plume of victory: (Original/Figurative) A symbol or sign of triumph or success, referencing the decorative feather worn by a successful warrior or knight.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of plume from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
