proinen

to trim feathers; groom oneself

1 / 1

A middle-aged Latina woman carefully smooths her hair while admiring herself in a small tabletop mirror, her upright posture and pleased smile conveying obvious self-satisfaction.

verb

preen

PREEN/priːn/

To groom oneself with careful attention to appearance.

Etymology

preenMiddle Englishto trim feathers; groom oneself

Preen is probably a variant of Middle English proinen, used for trimming feathers or carefully grooming oneself. The self-satisfaction sense turns attention to one's appearance into an outward display of pride.

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