Preen
/priːn/noun
To groom or smooth feathers, hair, or clothing; by extension, to behave in a self-satisfied way.
Did you know?The word first belonged to birds: in Middle English, to preen was to pick and arrange feathers with the beak, and only later did it take on the human sense of smug self-admiration.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to rub, press, or strike”
Old English
OE
prēon
“to pierce or prick”
Middle English
ME
preenen
“to trim or dress feathers with the beak”
16th Century
English
preen
“to groom oneself carefully; to smooth or arrange”
Modern English
English
preen
“to groom feathers, hair, or clothing; also to act self-satisfied”