plumule

/'plu:mju:l/

Thân thiện

A baby chick's soft plumule keeps it warm in the nest.

Definition

Noun: 1. The first feather or down feather of a young bird: The small, soft, fluffy feather that covers the body of a nestling or chick. 2. A down feather that persists in some adult birds: A type of soft, insulating feather found beneath the contour feathers in some mature birds.

Examples

• The newly hatched chick was covered in a soft, gray plumule.
• Ornithologists study the plumule structure to understand avian insulation.
• Unlike the stiff flight feathers, the plumule provides warmth.

Advanced Usage

• In ornithology, the term is used to distinguish the insulating down from other feather types like remiges (flight feathers) or rectrices (tail feathers).
• The presence and density of the plumule are key adaptations for thermoregulation in birds.

Variants and Related Words

• Plumage (n): The entire feather covering of a bird.
• Down (n): A general term for soft, fine feathers, often used synonymously with plumule but can refer to the material from any bird.
• Contour feather (n): The stiffer, outer feathers that give a bird its shape and are used for flight.

Synonyms

• Down feather
• Natal down (specifically for the first feathering of a chick)

Notes on Meaning

The primary and most specific meaning of plumule is a biological term for a type of feather. Its usage is almost exclusively scientific or technical, relating to zoology and ornithology. It is not used in everyday conversation.

Học thuật

Noun

1. down feather of young birds; persists in some adult birds