Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of preen.
  • noun A grooming or posturing.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • But, if self-righteous preening is more your style even though it is completely unhelpful, by all means, carryon.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » California’s Woes and Prop 13 2010

  • But, if self-righteous preening is more your style even though it is completely unhelpful, by all means, carry on.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » California’s Woes and Prop 13 2010

  • OpenVolokh: But, if self-righteous preening is more your style even though it is completely unhelpful, by all means, carryon.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » California’s Woes and Prop 13 2010

  • Naturally he will not be allowed to call himself New Brown for long and whilst I can understand a certain preening arrogance on the left at the recent polls, especially after having despaired, there are contradictions and lies at the heart of “New Centre Brown”

    Archive 2007-07-22 Newmania 2007

  • Naturally he will not be allowed to call himself New Brown for long and whilst I can understand a certain preening arrogance on the left at the recent polls, especially after having despaired, there are contradictions and lies at the heart of “New Centre Brown”

    OOOoo he`s so "Strong" Newmania 2007

  • Though there are bird species with specialized pedal claws that function in preening (namely herons, pratincoles and nightjars), birds rely on their bills when cleaning their feathers and removing ectoparasites.

    Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

  • We saw earlier how some birds have evolved pedal claws that probably function in preening, but given that these are also absent in some of the groups that lack overhangs, other defensive adaptations must be present.

    Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

  • Though there are bird species with specialized pedal claws that function in preening (namely herons, pratincoles and nightjars), birds rely on their bills when cleaning their feathers and removing ectoparasites.

    The war on parasites: a pigeon’s eye view Darren Naish 2006

  • We saw earlier how some birds have evolved pedal claws that probably function in preening, but given that these are also absent in some of the groups that lack overhangs, other defensive adaptations must be present.

    The war on parasites: a pigeon’s eye view Darren Naish 2006

  • Basal tyrannosauroids and other basal coelurosaurs that possess specialised premaxillary teeth that might have been used in preening/grooming of quill-like integumentary structures.

    Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

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