Am I Using This Word Properly?

[bob68k]

The word PREEN, I know what it means and it does have different meanings.
I'm trying to use it in one of my poems.

'the first kiss preened from your lips,
revived this weary traveler'

Is this correct, does it make sense in this situation? Thanks for commenting

[cupid04]

chambers dictionary says togroom oneself with evident vanity.
or to pride or congratulate oneself.

It's also Scottish for a pin or a brooch.

[Wharton]

preen-heidit = small-brained (Scots)

[cupid04]

I can't see how you can preen your lips. [I could be wrong though!]
You can pout or pucker, lol!xxxxx

[tamborine]

I suggest 'gleaned' - the first kiss gleaned from your lips.....

[Quizmonster]

Used as a verb - which is how you have used it - preen means sew, pierce, fasten or trim, none of which can be applied to the kissing situation as far as I can see. Of course, poets are free to use words in unusual ways, but I suspect yours is probably too unconventional a usage!

[kloofnek]

I have only ever heard it as "birds preen"= clean their feathers.
Also leaning towards vanity "she preened at herself in front of the mirror"

I don`t know how it has anything to do with kisses and lips ( I understand what you mean by it)...but who knows,language and grammer is changing all the time.

[sandyRoe]

Garnered?

[murraymints]

Or creamed ?

[DTCwordfan]

leaned.......

[sandyRoe]

What about, 'gifted'?

[vascop]

It seems to me you are saying in the poem that someone preened a kiss from someone else's lips, so I suppose that if you are thinking of what a bird does to itself when preening, ie pecking itself etc, then I suppose you could use it in the sense that one person is using a preening action on another instead of themselves.

[kloofnek]

You have hit the nail on the head..vascop...great answer

[Canary42]

I think your use of poetic licence in this case is brilliant - retain it.

[AB Editor]

While it isn't completely correct I'd stick with it - sounds like a kiss hard worked/groomed for. It has a nice sense of vanity about it...

[flicrat]

Probably not is the short answer. However, as it says in 'Alice in Wonderland' (or 'Through the Looking Glass) words can mean what you ant them to mean. If you are writing for an audience, it is sometimes wise to make sure your meaning is accessible to them - but if you are not sure yourself, they can interpret it how they like, I guess.