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

The tensions are still there, however, sparked by Season 1’s Sergio, now out of jail and a preening Rio city councilor. —John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024

Designers traditionally present themselves in public as preening demigods or fussy, difficult eccentrics, but neither is the vibe that Porte Jacquemus gives off. —Nathan Heller, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024

That’s the message Dodgers slugger Max Muncy has for fans attending tonight’s winner-take-all playoff game between the Boys in Blue and those preening San Diego Padres. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024

One goose, named Edes, was preening quietly; others were resting with their beaks pointed tailward, nestled into their feathers. —Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 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