英语词汇“preen”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

preen

/priːn

verb [no object]

1(Of a bird) tidy and clean its feathers with its beak: reed buntings preened at the pool’s edge [with object]: the pigeon preened her feathers...

This louse is the only common parasite on satin bowerbirds, and it is found mainly around the head and eyes where birds cannot easily preen.
With hundreds of new feathers regenerating, the bird must preen constantly.
When preening, birds nibble and stroke their feathers, returning them to correct position.

Synonyms

clean, tidy, groom, smooth, arrange

archaic plume, prink

1.1 (also preen oneself) (Of a person) devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one’s appearance: adolescents preening in their bedroom mirrors...

They start cramming the barricades, the ladies start primping and preening themselves in their compact mirrors.
We're always expected to be preening ourselves, so it was a pretty nice opportunity not to have to think about that stuff for a while.
Television stars had been preening themselves for the red carpet at Claridges, where some of the hottest designers, make-up artists, jewellers and hair stylists had taken up residence.

Synonyms

admire oneself, primp oneself, primp, prink oneself;

pretty oneself, prettify oneself, smarten oneself, beautify oneself, make oneself pretty/smart/beautiful, groom oneself, tidy oneself, spruce oneself up

informal titivate oneself, doll oneself up

British informal tart oneself up

North American informal gussy oneself up

archaic plume oneself, trig oneself

1.2 (preen oneself) Congratulate or pride oneself: he’s busy preening himself on acquiring such a pretty girlfriend...

For almost 10 years, I have preened myself on this single modest benefaction.
‘As you wish, Captain,’ Tyrr replied simply, mentally preening himself for the accomplishment.
The police last week in Sunderland preened themselves on how good intelligence had enabled them to spot and control the troublemakers.

Synonyms

congratulate oneself, be pleased with oneself, pride oneself, be proud of oneself, pat oneself on the back, give oneself a pat on the back, feel self-satisfied

archaic pique oneself

Derivatives

preener

noun ...

The second study suggested that birds with longer bill overhangs are more efficient preeners because the overhang helps birds create a shearing force that crushes ectoparasites.

Origin

Late Middle English: apparently a variant of obsolete prune (based on Latin ungere 'anoint'), in the same sense, associated with Scots and northern English dialect preen 'pierce, pin' (because of the ‘pricking’ action of the bird's beak).

单词	preen
释义	preen /priːn / verb [no object] 1(Of a bird) tidy and clean its feathers with its beak: reed buntings preened at the pool’s edge [with object]: the pigeon preened her feathers... This louse is the only common parasite on satin bowerbirds, and it is found mainly around the head and eyes where birds cannot easily preen. With hundreds of new feathers regenerating, the bird must preen constantly. When preening, birds nibble and stroke their feathers, returning them to correct position. Synonyms clean, tidy, groom, smooth, arrange archaic plume, prink 1.1 (also preen oneself) (Of a person) devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one’s appearance: adolescents preening in their bedroom mirrors... They start cramming the barricades, the ladies start primping and preening themselves in their compact mirrors. We're always expected to be preening ourselves, so it was a pretty nice opportunity not to have to think about that stuff for a while. Television stars had been preening themselves for the red carpet at Claridges, where some of the hottest designers, make-up artists, jewellers and hair stylists had taken up residence. Synonyms admire oneself, primp oneself, primp, prink oneself; pretty oneself, prettify oneself, smarten oneself, beautify oneself, make oneself pretty/smart/beautiful, groom oneself, tidy oneself, spruce oneself up informal titivate oneself, doll oneself up British informal tart oneself up North American informal gussy oneself up archaic plume oneself, trig oneself 1.2 (preen oneself) Congratulate or pride oneself: he’s busy preening himself on* acquiring such a pretty girlfriend... For almost 10 years, I have preened myself on this single modest benefaction. ‘As you wish, Captain,’ Tyrr replied simply, mentally preening himself for the accomplishment. The police last week in Sunderland preened themselves on how good intelligence had enabled them to spot and control the troublemakers. Synonyms congratulate oneself, be pleased with oneself, pride oneself, be proud of oneself, pat oneself on the back, give oneself a pat on the back, feel self-satisfied archaic* pique oneself Derivatives preener noun ... The second study suggested that birds with longer bill overhangs are more efficient preeners because the overhang helps birds create a shearing force that crushes ectoparasites. Origin Late Middle English: apparently a variant of obsolete prune (based on Latin ungere 'anoint'), in the same sense, associated with Scots and northern English dialect preen 'pierce, pin' (because of the ‘pricking’ action of the bird's beak). Rhymes Aberdeen, Amin, aquamarine, baleen, bean, been, beguine, Benin, between, canteen, careen, Claudine, clean, contravene, convene, cuisine, dean, Dene, e'en, eighteen, fascine, fedayeen, fifteen, figurine, foreseen, fourteen, Francine, gean, gene, glean, gombeen, green, Greene, Halloween, intervene, Janine, Jean, Jeannine, Jolene, Kean, keen, Keene, Ladin, langoustine, latrine, lean, limousine, machine, Maclean, magazine, Malines, margarine, marine, Mascarene, Massine, Maxine, mean, Medellín, mesne, mien, Moline, moreen, mujahedin, Nadine, nankeen, Nazarene, Nene, nineteen, nougatine, obscene, palanquin, peen, poteen, quean, Rabin, Racine, ramin, ravine, routine, Sabine, saltine, sardine, sarin, sateen, scene, screen, seen, serene, seventeen, shagreen, shebeen, sheen, sixteen, spleen, spring-clean, squireen, Steen, submarine, supervene, tambourine, tangerine, teen, terrine, thirteen, transmarine, treen, tureen, Tyrrhene, ultramarine, umpteen, velveteen, wean, ween, Wheen, yean
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preen

Derivatives

preener

Origin

Rhymes