A sine or little fether: a soft fether. Auium plumæ. Lucre. Albæ plumæ. Ouid. Canæ. Ouid. Horrida pluma. Ouid. Leuibus plumis velari corpora. Ouid. Mollis pluma Virg. Pensilibus plumis vehi. Iuuen. To be carried in a litter full of pillowes and soft fethers. Rutila pluma fulgens ales, Cic. Variæ plumæ. Hor. Fethers of diuers colcurs. Versicolores plumæ columbis ad ornatum sunt. C. Chãgeable fethers be in pigeons for an ornament. Versicolore pluma fultum caput. Propert. Volucres plumæ. Sen. Vulsæ plumæ. Virg. Moueri facilius pluma aut folio. Ci. To be more vnconstãt and wauering than a fether or leafe. Nantes plumæ colludunt in aqua. Vir. Obductæ plumis quædam animantes. Cic.

I. Lit. (clas.; syn. penna): (animantium) pluma alias, alias squamā videmus obductas, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 121: plumae versicolores, id. Fin. 3, 5, 18: mollis, Verg. A. 10, 192: in plumis delituisse Jovem, i. e. in the form of a swan, Ov. H. 8, 68.—They were used esp. for stuffing pillows and the beds of litters: dormit in plumā, Mart. 12, 17, 8: pensilibus plumis vehi, i. e. in litters, Juv. 1, 159: in plumā paternā dormire, id. 6, 88. —Also in clothing: non avium plumae in usum vestium conseruntur? Sen. Ep. 90, 14.—As an image of lightness, triviality, insignificance, like feather with us: homo levior quam pluma, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 23: levior plumā est gratia, id. Poen. 3, 6, 17: ipsi plumā aut folio facilius moventur, Cic. Att. 8, 15, 2: pluma haud interest, patronus, an cliens probior siet, there is not a pin to choose, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 60.—

II. Transf.

A. Of the first beard, down (poet.): insperata tuae cum veniet pluma superbiae, Hor. C. 4, 10, 2.—

B. The scales on a coat of mail, Stat. Th. 11, 542; cf.: equus, quem pellis aënis In plumam squamis auro conserta tegebat, i. e. scales of brass overlaid on a skin, Verg. A. 11, 771 Serv. and Heyn. ad loc.: equis operimenta erant, quae lintea ferreis laminis in modum plumae adnexuerant, Sall. H. 4, 59 Dietsch.

I. Act.

A. To cover with feathers, to feather (poet. and post-Aug.): plumato corpore corvus, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 44, 114: molli plumatā lanugine, Plin. 8, 32, 50, 117: plumare se in avem, i. e. to transform, App. M. 3, p. 138, 18.—

B. To embroider (poet. and post-class.): pars auro plumata nitet, pars ignea cocco, Luc. 10, 123; Vop. Carin. 20: plumato amictus aureo Babylonico, Petr. Poet. 55, 6.—

C. To cover with scales (post-class.): loricae plumatae, Just. 41, 2, 15.—

II. Neutr., to put forth or get feathers, to become fledged (postclass.): pullis jam jam plumantibus, Gell. 2, 29.