verb · transitive · rare

preen

preen · preens · preened · preening

гладити, погладити

чиститься, почиститься, прихорашиваться, прихорошиться

putzen, sich brüsten, zurechtmachen, herausputzen

To pin; fastenTo pin; fasten.

ⓘ

/pɹiːn/

» Topping off the performance with a backflip, the dancer preened in the applause.

Meaning

8 senses

(transitive)To pin; fasten.
(ambitransitive)To groom; to trim or dress the feathers with the beak.
putzen
чи́ститьсяčístitʹsja, почи́ститьсяpočístitʹsja, прихора́шиватьсяprixorášivatʹsja
dress or groom with elaborate care
(intransitive, reflexive)To spend time making oneself attractive and admiring one's appearance, e.g. in front of a mirror.
herausputzen, zurechtmachen, aufbretzeln
прихора́шиватьсяprixorášivatʹsja, прихороши́тьсяprixorošítʹsja
(intransitive)To show off, posture, or smarm.
sich brüsten
(transitive)To flatter.
(transitive)To comb; to make orderly.
(transitive)To trim up, as trees.
(broadly, transitive)To improve the appearance of; groom; prettify.

Examples

3 sentences

Topping off the performance with a backflip, the dancer preened in the applause.
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A duck will preen its feathers many times over the course of the day.
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The bird preened its feathers.
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Translations

3 languages

Русский

By meaning 1

to groom (of birds):

Deutsch

By meaning 3

to groom (of birds):

to spend time making oneself attractive and admiring one's appearance (of people):

to show off:

Origin

From Middle English pren, from Old English prēon, from Proto-Germanic *preunaz (compare Ic

From Middle English pren, from Old English prēon, from Proto-Germanic *preunaz (compare Icelandic prjónn (“pin, knitting-needle”), Danish pryne (“needle, eel-spear”)), of uncertain origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *brewn- (“protrusion, tip, edge”) (compare Lithuanian briaunà (“edge”), Albanian brez (“belt, girdle”)). Cognate with German Pfriem.

Variant of prune (by influence of preen above). Attested in Chaucer (c. 1395) in the variants preyneth, prayneth, proyneth, prunyht, pruneth, from Old French proignier (“to trim the feathers with the beak”).

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