verb
preen
PREEN/priːn/
To groom oneself with careful attention to appearance.
She preens in front of the mirror before her interview.
Etymology
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.
In context
before I could preen she was up and across in two strides, snatching the pheasant and three doves from me
More examples
- The duck preens its feathers after a swim.
- He preened before the party, smoothing his hair and straightening his tie.
- Stop preening in the mirror—we're already late.
Forms
preen · preens · preened · preening