plumage
noun
plum·age ˈplü-mij 
: the feathers of a bird
plumaged
ˈplü-mijd
adjective 
Example Sentences
The peacock has colorful plumage.
Recent Examples on the Web They are distinguished by their soccer skills and the accompanying uniforms, whose neon plumage turns them into vivid anime heroes. 
Han Ong, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 Pin feathers on the wings were developing and downy plumage was sprouting on top of their heads. San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2022 The sun began to play over the swan’s plumage, which flashed with every shade of violet: from blue-violet to yellow-violet. Vladimir Sorokin, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 The bird is known for its striking black-and-white plumage, white bill, lemon-yellow eye, and pointed crest. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 15 July 2022 Big Bird Technology can’t replace touch, and designers delighted in plumage-like textures. Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, 11 July 2022 Sometimes, the bird’s plumage ignites, and it may be left suffering on the ground. Carolyn Wilke, New York Times, 29 June 2022 But hummingbirds do not create their rainbow of plumage colors to appeal to human eyes. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 26 June 2022 All of them brought an exacting eye to their designs; each worked in concert with a fashion industry that was built on social rules, gender dictates and the notion that attire was fundamentally a kind of feminine plumage. Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2022 See More
Han Ong, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 Pin feathers on the wings were developing and downy plumage was sprouting on top of their heads. San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2022 The sun began to play over the swan’s plumage, which flashed with every shade of violet: from blue-violet to yellow-violet. Vladimir Sorokin, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 The bird is known for its striking black-and-white plumage, white bill, lemon-yellow eye, and pointed crest. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 15 July 2022 Big Bird Technology can’t replace touch, and designers delighted in plumage-like textures. Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, 11 July 2022 Sometimes, the bird’s plumage ignites, and it may be left suffering on the ground. Carolyn Wilke, New York Times, 29 June 2022 But hummingbirds do not create their rainbow of plumage colors to appeal to human eyes. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 26 June 2022 All of them brought an exacting eye to their designs; each worked in concert with a fashion industry that was built on social rules, gender dictates and the notion that attire was fundamentally a kind of feminine plumage. Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from plume feather — more at plume
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing plumage
Kids Definition
plumage
noun
plum·age ˈplü-mij
: the feathers of a bird