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white feather
noun Chiefly British.
Idiom1.
a symbol of cowardice.
2.
show the white feather, to behave in a cowardly manner.
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White feather
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Origin:
1775–85; orig. from a white feather in a gamecock's tail, taken as a sign of inferior breeding and hence of poor fighting qualities
1775–85; orig. from a white feather in a gamecock's tail, taken as a sign of inferior breeding and hence of poor fighting qualities
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To white feather
Collins
World English Dictionary
| white feather | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a symbol or mark of cowardice |
| 2. | show the white feather to act in a cowardly manner |
| [from the belief that a white feather in a gamecock's tail was a sign of a poor fighter] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
white feather
as a symbol of cowardice, 1785, supposedly from game-cocks, "where having a white feather, is proof he is not of the true game breed" [Grose].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Word Dynamo Rating For White feather
Idioms & Phrases
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