DEPLUME

pluck, pull, tear, deplume, deplumate, displume

(verb) strip of feathers; “pull a chicken”; “pluck the capon”

deplume, displume

(verb) strip of honors, possessions, or attributes

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

deplume (third-person singular simple present deplumes, present participle depluming, simple past and past participle deplumed)

(transitive) To strip of feathers or plumage.

(transitive, figuratively) To lay bare; to expose.

Source: Wiktionary

De*plume", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deplumed; p. pr. & vb. n. Depluming.] Etym: [LL. deplumare; L. de- + plumare to cover with feathers, pluma feather: cf. deplumis featherless, and F. déplumer.]

1. To strip or pluck off the feather of; to deprive of of plumage. On the depluming of the pope every bird had his own feather. Fuller.

2. To lay bare; to expose. The exposure and depluming of the leading humbugs of the age. De Quincey.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition