See Also: preen(medicine)
preen(1)(dictionary)
preen(2)(dictionary)
preen(dictionary)
preen gland(medicine)

preen(2) (iou)



preen verb2. [pri:n] LME.
[Perh. alt. of PRUNE verb1 by assim. to PREEN noun & verb1, with ref. to the pricking action of a bird's beak.]
verb trans. & intrans. Of a bird: tidy and clean (its feathers) with the beak. LME.
G. White The feathers of these birds must be well preened to resist so much wet. P. Angadi A duck oiled its feathers by preening.
b. verb trans. Of a bird: preen the feathers of. Usu. refl. LME.
R. Dawkins An individual bird can pull off its own ticks when preening itself.
verb refl. & intrans.
a. Smarten up one's appearance. LME.
K. Mansfield The gentlemen..preened themselves in front of the admiring ladies. S. Fugard He preened before a mirror.
b. fig. Congratulate oneself, show self-satisfaction. Usu. foll. by on. L19.
E. Jones He preened himself on a purely spontaneous discovery of his own.
Comb.: preen-gland Zoology = oil-gland s.v. OIL noun.
preener noun M20.
preening ppl adjective that preens; smugly self-confident: E20.