Which term means the feathers of a bird (collectively)?

• A. Plumage
• B. Plummet
• C. Plus
• D. Policy

Answer: (A)

Plumage is the word for a bird’s feathers as a whole, encompassing their color, pattern, and overall appearance. It describes the bird’s external covering collectively, so you’d talk about a bird’s plumage when noting how it looks or how it changes with the seasons. You can hear it in sentences like, “The bird’s plumage is vibrant in spring.”

The other words don’t fit this sense: plummet means to fall or a heavy weight used for measuring depth; plus means in addition or an advantage; policy refers to a plan or rule guiding actions.