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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
James Mercadante, EW.com, 20 May 2025
The tall, elegant birds preened their colorful feathers and posed for the cameras, enjoying the mildly sunny day.
—Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2025
Most of those preening peacocks would auction off family members to get a national news hit.
—Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
While many of the viral videos show the kids palling around and preening, the former squad members say they were often pushed too far.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preen
Cite this Entry
“Preen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preen. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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