preen: [14] Preen is generally taken to be an alteration of prune ‘cut branches’, under the influence of another now obsolete verb preen ‘pierce’, a descendant of the Old English noun prēon ‘pin’ (the notion presumably being of a bird ‘piercing’ its feathers with its beak when cleaning them). => prune
preen (v.)
"to trim, to dress up," late 14c., perhaps a variation of Middle English proynen, proinen "trim the feather with the beak" (see prune (v.)); or perhaps from Old French poroindre "anoint before," and Old French proignier "round off, prune." Middle English prene (from Old English preon, a general Germanic word) meant "to pin," and probably influenced the form of this word. Watkins, however, connects it with Latin unguere "to smear, anoint."
Because of the popularity of falconry, bird activities formerly were more closely observed and words for them were more precise in English than today.
Youre hawke proynith and not pikith and she prenyth not bot whan she begynnyth at hir leggys, and fetcheth moystour like oyle at hir taill. ["Book of St. Albans," 1486]
中文解释
1. prune => preen.2. 靠在栏杆上，拿着花，眯着眼睛打扮.
实用例句
1. Rare birds preen themselves right in front of your camera.
很少有鸟类会在镜头面前梳理自己的羽毛。
来自柯林斯例句
2. He never cared a preen for her.
他对她一点也不在乎.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
3. They sat in Germaine Rocher's salon watching the languid mannequins preen and simper.
她们正坐在吉米·罗切的美术展览馆里,看着那些疲乏的服装模特炫耀服装和假笑.
来自辞典例句
4. Brian: Oh. Well, next time, preen yourself before asking her out.
布莱恩: 噢. 那下次你要开口约她出去之前,先好好打扮一下吧.
来自互联网
5. Do not preen yourself on defeating so weak a person.
