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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
Philip Elliott, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Which is why, having failed to stop the coming spending cuts with preening puffery and shameless dishonesty, defenders of taxpayer dollars for public media have pulled out the last tool out of their political toolbox.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 18 July 2025
Adding a meta layer, when Brazilians see their compatriots act out this complex, preening for attention, this triggers even more chagrin about being Brazilian.
—Shannon Sims, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
With Bill Murray killing as a preening champion, this coarse, dumb, hilarious film is primo Farrelly brothers during their golden age that, unfairly, got slept on at the time.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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