rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryplumeFeather or featherlike cluster
noun / verb

plume

PLOOM/pluːm/

A feather or featherlike cluster.

The tall ostrich plume curves gracefully beside the incense bowl.

A single tall ornamental ostrich feather curves gracefully beside a small plain bowl of smoldering incense whose pale gray smoke rises in a long featherlike plume.
Etymology
plumeLatinsoft feather, down

The original image is a soft feather. The smoke sense extends that image to a long, spreading streamer of smoke, dust, or vapor resembling a feather.

In context

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It looks like a new plume, a new large plume of smoke. Now it may be that something fell off the building.
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More examples

  • The heron has delicate plumes on its head.
  • The costume designer plumed the helmet with ostrich feathers.
  • A featherlike plume of smoke rises from the chimney.

Forms

plume · plumes · plumed · pluming

plumage noun — The feathers covering a bird's body.

Similar words

feather
Feather is the general term, without implying decorative prominence.
tuft
Tuft emphasizes a small bunch rather than a single feather.