Plumelet

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A diminutive feather or tuft that is similar to a plume often found on birds or used in decorative applications
2. This term denotes a small, ornamental feather or a similar feature that can embellish various items or represent a decorative style
3. A small feather or tuft resembling a plume that serves decorative purposes or enhances the aesthetic of various objects

Etymology: "Plumelet" is simply "plume" with the diminutive suffix "-let" attached. The "-let" ending came into English from Old French "-elet", which in turn descends from Latin "-ellus" and "-ittus", both used to mark something small. Words like "booklet" and "streamlet" follow the same pattern, so a plumelet is a little plume. The base word has a longer journey. "Plume" comes from Latin "pluma", a word for a soft feather, which English borrowed through Anglo-Norman "plume". Its ultimate roots go back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to pluck or to be light, the same notion that shows up in the idea of a feather as something light enough to float.

Synonyms: small plume, feather, frond, leaflet, sprout