There was no mistake about it, he was thin, and his feathers were so bedraggled that it was evident he had not preened them since he had been gone.
While he polished his beak and preened his feathers more assiduously than ever, there was a note of pleading in his cooing that puzzled the children, and caused Andrea to remark: "I wonder what can be the matter with Chico!
I can see they have taken good care of you and all, preened the pretty feathers.
Perhaps you preened your pretty feathers in them when they were fixed on the demigod.
They swam about in circles, and preened their feathers with their bills, which were still small and gray, and not black like those of the old birds.
When she had fed her babies and preened her pretty feathers a bit, she was off again on the ten-mile flight; for many a long journey she and her mate must take ere their little ones could feed themselves.
He preened himself and drew his knees up into his arms, in an attitude intended to be one of perfect ease and to show his confidence.
Had she not preened her feathers and strutted her very best on the occasion when he interviewed her at Hoskin & Marl's and taken her out to lunch?
Cap'n Ira preenedhimself like the proud old gander he was.
Then she rested upon a maple twig, leisurely preenedher feathers, drawing each one gently through her beak, and after a second visit to the honeysuckles darted toward the nest.
Clearly, life was regarded from a mature standard as it preened its plumage and looked about with an undaunted air.
From a million hiding places there crept out--into the night--the soft and furry bodies of great moths who preened themselves and smoothed their feathery antennae before taking to the air.
The wasp preened itself, then matter-of-factly grasped its victim and flew away.
And from the trees sang birds with song more sweet than any that Psyche had ever known, and with brilliant plumage which they preened caressingly when they had dipped their wings in crystal-sparkling fountains.
In her garden, sitting amongst the flowers and idly watching his mother's fair white doves as they preened their snowy feathers in the sun, Aphrodite found her son Eros, and angrily poured forth to him the story of her shame.
Brown thrush, nested ’neath the thick o’ yonder shrub, hath preened her wings full long aneath the tender warmth o’ morning sun.
When Patience had finished this she preened herself a little.
He lavished one look upon the still frozen Juliana, replaced the cap upon his yellow hair, once more preened his moustache at her, and turned away to meet the oncoming children.
He preenedhis moustache, smoothed his hair, waited.
But Dave Cowan merely preened his beautiful yellow moustache at her and said, "How's business, Mother?
And he preened his little dazzling body in the sun.
And he sat andpreened his gay little body in the sun.
Then she wiped her beak and preened her feathers prettily, as every well-bred young lady owl should.
So the little goldfinch followed their example; he preened his feathers, looking at himself admiringly in a dewdrop the while.
Close in a little bush a storm-blown scarlet bird twittered and preened in its temporary sacristry.
Spring opened formally for the Nesbits with crocuses and hyacinths; smiled genially in golden forsythia, bridal wreath and tulips, preened itself in flags and lilacs before glowing in roses and peonies.
Then after the business with Joseph Calvin was concluded, the young Judge in his private office with his hands under his coattails preened before Miss Mauling and talked from a shameless soul of his greed for power!
She smiled radiantly, and she fairly preened herself so that the spangles on her black gown shone proudly.
Mrs. McMahon preened herself, and tossed her head; so that feathers and flowers dashed their hues worse than before.
The fairy preened herself carefully, for who would conquer must wear nice clothes.
The peacocks preened their gorgeous plumage and uttered their clarion calls.
Meeting that prolonged glance, he attributed it to his fascinating appearance, and smirked and preened consciously.
Walton preened foolishly and tried to look incredulous, as he replied, "Do you really think so, Holy?
Nor can it tell of the pleasure with which each fledgling for the first time stretched its wings and legs to their full extent and preened its plumage with before unknown freedom.
He calmly fluffed out his feathers and preened himself, while his meek spouse watched him.
A hummingbird perched on the tip of a twig, looking from below like a good sized bumblebee as he preened his feathers and looked off upon the world below.
He covered her with his glance, so that she preened herself.
She was immensely pleased with this speech,--mentally she quitepreened herself.
The chick, having preened itself a little, goes again to its mother, and is received this time beneath her other wing, which is the farther one.
Having preened itself, it goes back to her, and then flaps its little wings.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "preened" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
