one of the horny structures forming the principal covering of birds, consisting typically of a hard, tubular portion attached to the body and tapering into a thinner, stemlike portion bearing a series of slender, barbed processes that interlock to form a flat structure on each side.
2.
kind; character; nature: two boys of the same feather.
3.
something like a feather, as a tuft or fringe of hair.
4.
something very light, small, or trivial: Your worry is a mere feather.
5.
Archery. one of the vanes at the tail of an arrow or dart.
6.
Carpentry. a spline for joining the grooved edges of two boards.
Rowing. to turn (an oar) after a stroke so that the blade becomes nearly horizontal, and hold it thus as it is moved back into position for the next stroke.
15.
Aeronautics.
a.
to change the blade angle of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are approximately parallel to the line of flight.
b.
to turn off (an engine) while in flight.
–verb (used without object)
16.
to grow feathers.
17.
to be or become feathery in appearance.
18.
to move like feathers.
19.
Rowing. to feather an oar.
—Verb phrase
20.
feather into, South Midland U.S.to attack (a person, task, or problem) vigorously.
—Idioms
21.
a feather in one's cap, a praiseworthy accomplishment; distinction; honor: Being chosen class president is a feather in her cap.
feather one's nest, to take advantage of the opportunities to enrich oneself: The mayor had used his term of office to feather his nest.
24.
in fine or high feather, in good form, humor, or health: feeling in fine feather.
25.
ruffle someone's feathers, to anger, upset, or annoy (another person).
26.
smooth one's ruffled or rumpled feathers, to regain one's composure; become calm: After the argument, we each retired to our own rooms to smooth our ruffled feathers.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME, OE fether; c. D veder, G Feder, ON fjǫthr; akin to Gk pterón, Skt pátram wing, feather]
One of the light, flat growths forming the plumage of birds, consisting of numerous slender, closely arranged parallel barbs forming a vane on either side of a horny, tapering, partly hollow shaft.
feathers Plumage.
feathers Clothing; attire.
A feathery tuft or fringe of hair, as on the legs or tail of some dogs.
Character, kind, or nature: Birds of a feather flock together.
Something small, trivial, or inconsequential.
A strip, wedge, or flange used as a strengthening part.
A wedge or key that fits into a groove to make a joint.
The vane of an arrow.
A feather-shaped flaw, as in a precious stone.
The wake made by a submarine's periscope.
The act of feathering the blade of an oar in rowing.
v.
feath·ered, feath·er·ing, feath·ers
v.
tr.
To cover, dress, or decorate with or as if with feathers.
To fit (an arrow) with a feather.
To thin, reduce, or fringe the edge of by cutting, shaving, or wearing away.
To shorten and taper (hair) by cutting and thinning.
To alter the pitch of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are parallel with the line of flight.
To alter the pitch of (the rotor of a helicoptor) while in forward flight.
To connect with a tongue-and-groove joint.
To turn (an oar blade) almost horizontal as it is carried back after each stroke.
To alter the pitch of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are parallel with the line of flight.
To alter the pitch of (the rotor of a helicoptor) while in forward flight.
To turn off (an aircraft engine) while in flight.
v.
intr.
To grow feathers or become feathered.
To move, spread, or grow in a manner suggestive of feathers.
To feather an oar.
To feather a propeller.
[Middle English fether, from Old English; see pet- in Indo-European roots.]
O.E. feðer "feather," in pl., "wings," from Gmc. *fethro (cf. O.N. fjöðr, M.Du. vedere, Ger. Feder), from PIE *petra-, zero degree *ptera- "wing, feather," from base *pet- "to rush, to fly" (see petition). To feather one's nest "enrich oneself" is from 1583. Feather-headed "silly" is from 1647. Feather-weight, the lightest allowable, is first recorded 1812, originally in horse-racing; boxing use dates from 1889.
One of the light, flat structures that cover the skin of birds. A feather is made of a horny substance and has a narrow, hollow shaft bearing flat vanes formed of many parallel barbs. The barbs of outer feathers are formed of even smaller structures (called barbules) that interlock. The barbs of down feathers do not interlock. Evolutionarily, feathers are modified scales, first seen in certain dinosaurs.
Feather Sound, FL (CDP, FIPS 21945) Location: 27.90935 N, 82.65709 W Population (1990): 2690 (1535 housing units) Area: 10.9 sq km (land), 25.6 sq km (water)
Barb\, n. [F. barbe, fr. L. barba beard. See Beard, n.]1. Beard, or that which resembles it, or grows in the place of it. The barbel, so called by reason of his barbs, or wattles in his mouth. --Walton. 2. A muffler, worn by nuns and mourners. [Obs.] 3. pl. Paps, or little projections, of the mucous membrane, which mark the opening of the submaxillary glands under the tongue in horses and cattle. The name is mostly applied when the barbs are inflamed and swollen. [Written also barbel and barble.] 4. The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else. "Having two barbs or points." --Ascham. 5. A bit for a horse. [Obs.] --Spenser. 6. (Zo["o]l.) One of the side branches of a feather, which collectively constitute the vane. See Feather. 7. (Zo["o]l.) A southern name for the kingfishes of the eastern and southeastern coasts of the United States; -- also improperly called whiting. 8. (Bot.) A hair or bristle ending in a double hook.
Bar"bule\, n. [L. barbula, fr. barba beard.]1. A very minute barb or beard. --Booth. 2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the processes along the edges of the barbs of a feather, by which adjacent barbs interlock. See Feather.
Feath"er\, n. [OE. fether, AS. fe?der; akin to D. veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder, Icel. fj["o]?r, Sw. fj["a]der, Dan. fj[ae]der, Gr. ? wing, feather, ? to fly, Skr. pattra wing, feathr, pat to fly, and prob. to L. penna feather, wing. [root]76, 248. Cf. Pen a feather.]1. One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds, belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down. Note: An ordinary feather consists of the quill or hollow basal part of the stem; the shaft or rachis, forming the upper, solid part of the stem; the vanes or webs, implanted on the rachis and consisting of a series of slender lamin[ae] or barbs, which usually bear barbicels and interlocking hooks by which they are fastened together. See Down, Quill, Plumage. 2. Kind; nature; species; -- from the proverbial phrase, "Birds of a feather," that is, of the same species. [R.] I am not of that feather to shake off My friend when he must need me. --Shak. 3. The fringe of long hair on the legs of the setter and some other dogs. 4. A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on a horse. 5. One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow. 6. (Mach. & Carp.) A longitudinal strip projecting as a fin from an object, to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in another object and thereby prevent displacement sidwise but permit motion lengthwise; a spline. 7. A thin wedge driven between the two semicylindrical parts of a divided plug in a hole bored in a stone, to rend the stone. --Knight. 8. The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water. Note: Feather is used adjectively or in combination, meaning composed of, or resembling, a feather or feathers; as, feather fan, feather-heeled, feather duster. Feather alum (Min.), a hydrous sulphate of alumina, resulting from volcanic action, and from the decomposition of iron pyrites; -- called also halotrichite. --Ure. Feather bed, a bed filled with feathers. Feather driver, one who prepares feathers by beating. Feather duster, a dusting brush of feathers. Feather flower, an artifical flower made of feathers, for ladies' headdresses, and other ornamental purposes. Feather grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Stipa pennata) which has a long feathery awn rising from one of the chaffy scales which inclose the grain. Feather maker, one who makes plumes, etc., of feathers, real or artificial. Feather ore (Min.), a sulphide of antimony and lead, sometimes found in capillary forms and like a cobweb, but also massive. It is a variety of Jamesonite. Feather shot, or Feathered shot (Metal.), copper granulated by pouring into cold water. --Raymond. Feather spray (Naut.), the spray thrown up, like pairs of feathers, by the cutwater of a fast-moving vessel. Feather star. (Zo["o]l.) See Comatula. Feather weight. (Racing) (a) Scrupulously exact weight, so that a feather would turn the scale, when a jockey is weighed or weighted. (b) The lightest weight that can be put on the back of a horse in racing. --Youatt. (c) In wrestling, boxing, etc., a term applied to the lightest of the classes into which contestants are divided; -- in contradistinction to light weight, middle weight, and heavy weight. A feather in the cap an honour, trophy, or mark of distinction. [Colloq.] To be in full feather, to be in full dress or in one's best clothes. [Collog.] To be in high feather, to be in high spirits. [Collog.] To cut a feather. (a) (Naut.) To make the water foam in moving; in allusion to the ripple which a ship throws off from her bows. (b) To make one's self conspicuous. [Colloq.] To show the white feather, to betray cowardice, -- a white feather in the tail of a cock being considered an indication that he is not of the true game breed.
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