Definition of preen - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
peopleintr. spend time making oneself attractiveintr.
- She preened in front of the mirror before the party.
2.
behaviorintr. show off or postureintr.
- He preened as he accepted the award.
3.
birds groomingtr./intr. smooth or clean feathers with the beaktr./intr.
- The bird began to preen its glossy feathers..
Noun
1.
fashionDated decorative pin or broochDated
- She wore a beautiful preen on her dress.
2.
sewingRare tool used for dressing clothRare
- The tailor used a preen to smooth the fabric.
Images of preen
decorative pin or brooch 
tool used for dressing cloth
Expressions with preen
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groom oneself with care and vanity
She preened herself before the big event.
Origin of preen
Middle English, prenen (to trim)
Terms with preen included in their meaning
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bird grooming
arrange and preen feathers
Examples of preen in a sentence
The actor preened on the red carpet, enjoying the attention. She preened in front of the mirror before the party. The parrot would preen for hours each day. After a bath, the sparrow started to preen. Her jacket was adorned with a vintage preen. The preen on his lapel was a family heirloom.
She carefully selected a preen for her sewing project. A preen is essential for achieving a crisp seam.
View all translations of preen
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:se pomponner, broche, ...
- German:sich herausputzen, Brosche, ...
- Italian:sistemarsi, spilla, ...
- Spanish:arreglarse, broche, ...
- Portuguese:arranjar-se, broche, ...
- Chinese:打扮, 胸针, ...
- Japanese:身だしなみを整える, ブローチ, ...
- Arabic:تأنق, دَبُّوس زِينَة, ...
- Hebrew:לְהִתְיַפֵּיֵּף, סִכַּת נוֹי, ...
- Russian:прихорашиваться, брошь, ...
- Ukrainian:прихорошуватися, брошка, ...
- Hindi:सजना-सँवरना, प्रीन, ...
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