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preen

   Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
preen  (prn)
v. preened, preen·ing, preens
v.tr.
1.
a. To smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak or bill.
b. To trim or clean (fur) with the tongue, as cats do.
2. To dress or groom (oneself) with elaborate care; primp.
3. To take pride or satisfaction in (oneself); gloat.
v.intr.
1. To dress up; primp.
2. To swell with pride; gloat or exult.

[Middle English proinen, preinen, blend of Old French proignier, to prune; see prune2, and Old French poroindre, to anoint before (por-, before from Latin pr-; see pro-1 + oindre, to anoint from Latin unguere).]

preener n.

preen
Verb
1. (of birds) to clean or trim (feathers) with the beak
2. to smarten (oneself) carefully
3. preen oneself (often foll. by on)to be self-satisfied [Middle English preinen]

Preen of creative directors—Ruffner, 1983.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.preen - clean with one's bill; "The birds preened"
arrange, set up - put into a proper or systematic order; "arrange the books on the shelves in chronological order"
clean, make clean - make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from; "Clean the stove!"; "The dentist cleaned my teeth"
2.preen - pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement
crow, gloat, triumph - dwell on with satisfaction
3.preen - dress or groom with elaborate care; "She likes to dress when going to the opera"
attire, deck out, deck up, dress up, fancy up, fig out, fig up, rig out, tog out, tog up, trick out, trick up, gussy up, overdress, prink, get up - put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive; "She never dresses up, even when she goes to the opera"; "The young girls were all fancied up for the party"
dress, get dressed - put on clothes; "we had to dress quickly"; "dress the patient"; "Can the child dress by herself?"

preen
verb 1. (often reflexive) smarten, admire, dress up, doll up (slang) trim, array, deck out, spruce up, prettify, primp, trig (archaic), (dialect) titivate, prink
2. (of a bird) clean, smooth, groom, tidy, plume
preen yourself pride yourself, congratulate yourself, give yourself a pat on the back, pique yourself, plume yourself
Translations
preen [priːn] vt to preen itself [bird] → limpiarse las plumas;
to preen o.s. → pavonearse

preen [priːn] vt to preen itself [bird] → se lisser les plumes;
to preen o.s. → s'admirer

preen [priːn] vt to preen itself [bird] → sich putzen;
to preen o.s. → sich herausputzen

preen [priːn] vt to preen itself [bird] → lisciarsi le penne;
to preen o.s. → agghindarsi

preen
v preen [priːn]
1 (of birds) to arrange (the feathers) The sea-gulls were preening themselves / their feathers. glad stryk يُرَتِّبُ الطائِر ريشَه чистя с клюн rovnat si (peří) pudse putzen σιάζω τα φτερά μου (για πουλί) arreglar/con el alisar pico (sulestikku) kohendama پر و بال آراستن sukia lisser ses plumes לְנָקוֹת נוֹצוֹת בַּמָקוֹר बनना-ठनना, संवारना čistiti se,kljunom(ptica) tollászkodik merapikan bulu snyrta fjaðrirnar (lisciarsi le penne) 羽を整える (날개를) 다듬다 valyti (plunksnas) (par putniem) sakārtot/tīrīt spalvas menyelisik de veren gladstrijken pusse fjærene muskać (pióra) alisar as penas a-şi curăţa (penele) чистить перья čistiť si; čuchrať si (perie) čistiti si perje čistiti perje putsa ไซ้ขนด้วยปาก tüylerini düzeltmek (鳥)用嘴梳理(羽毛) чистити дзьобом پروں کو صاف کرنا rỉa lông羽毛
2 used unkindly, meaning to attend to one's appearance The woman was preening herself in front of the mirror. tooi يتأنَّق، يَتَباهى нагласям се parádit se gøre sig til sich herausputzen στολίζομαι, καμαρώνομαι acicalarse kenitlema خود را آراستن tällätä itseään se pomponner לְהִתגַנדֵר dotjerati se,lickati se csinosítja magát berdandan, bersolek snyrta sig agghindarsi めかしこむ 멋을 내다 gražinti(s), pustyti(s) []posties; izdaiļoties bersolek zich optooien pynte seg wdzięczyć się embonecar-se a se găti, a se dichisi прихорашиваться parádiť sa lišpati se lickati se snygga till sig, kråma sig แต่งตัวให้สวยงาม süslenip püslenmek 打扮 причепурюватися سنوارنا làm dáng


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Then she ran down the path through the other door and then into the orchard, and when she stood and looked up there was the tree on the other side of the wall, and there was the robin just finishing his song and, beginning to preen his feathers with his beak.
And if he happened to have returned a good answer, he would begin to preen himself, and to straighten his waistcoat, frockcoat and tie, and to assume an air of conscious dignity.
 
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