Lexic.us

Definition of Feather

1. Noun. The light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds.

2. Verb. Join tongue and groove, in carpentry.

3. Noun. Turning an oar parallel to the water between pulls.

4. Verb. Cover or fit with feathers.

5. Verb. Turn the paddle; in canoeing.

6. Verb. Turn the oar, while rowing.

7. Verb. Grow feathers. "The young sparrows are fledging already"

Definition of Feather

1. n. One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds, belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down.

2. v. t. To furnish with a feather or feathers, as an arrow or a cap.

3. v. i. To grow or form feathers; to become feathered; -- often with out; as, the birds are feathering out.

Definition of Feather

1. Noun. A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the wings of birds that allows their wings to create lift. ¹

2. Noun. Long hair on lower legs of heavier horses, especially draft horses, notably the Clydesdale breed. Narrowly only the rear hair. ¹

3. Verb. To cover with feathers. ¹

4. Verb. To arrange in the manner or appearance of feathers. ¹

5. Verb. (ambitransitive rowing) To rotate the oars while they are out of the water to reduce wind resistance. ¹

6. Verb. (aeronautics) To streamline the blades of an aircraft's propeller by rotating them perpendicular to the axis of the propeller when the engine is shut down so that the propeller doesn't windmill as the aircraft flies. ¹

7. Verb. (carpentry engineering) To finely shave or bevel an edge. ¹

8. Verb. (context: computer graphics) To intergrade or blend the pixels of an image with those of a background or neighboring image. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Feather

1. to cover with feathers (horny structures that form the principal covering of birds) [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Feather

1. 1. One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds, belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down. 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 laminae 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. "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. 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. 8. The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water. 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, a hydrous sulphate of alumina, resulting from volcanic action, and from the decomposition of iron pyrites; called also halotrichite. 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 Scrupulously exact weight, so that a feather would turn the scale, when a jockey is weighed or weighted. The lightest weight that can be put on the back of a horse in racing. 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. To be in full feather, to be in full dress or in one's best clothes. To be in high feather, to be in high spirits. To cut a feather. To make the water foam in moving; in allusion to the ripple which a ship throws off from her bows. To make one's self conspicuous. 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. Origin: OE. Fether, AS. Feder; akin to D. Veder, OHG. Fedara, G. Feder, Icel. Fjor, Sw. Fjader, Dan. Fjaeder, Gr. Wing, feather, to fly, Skr. Pattra wing, feathr, pat to fly, and prob. To L. Penna feather, wing. Cf. Pen a feather. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Feather

feasteth feastful feasting feastings feastless feastlike feastly feasts feat feat.

feat of strength feated feateous feater featest feather-bed feather-brain feather-brained feather-edge feather-few

feather-foil feather-headed feather-heeled feather-veined feather ball feather bed feather beds feather boa feather duster

Literary usage of Feather

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. South Eastern Reporter by West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, West Publishing Company, South Carolina Supreme Court (1903)
"The testator died July 1, 1890, owning a large amount of property, both real and personal, leaving surviving him Lydia feather, his widow; ..."

2. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: Giving the Derivation, Source, Or Origin of by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer (1898)
"An oiled feather. Kindness of manner and speech. An oiled feather will do more to ease a stubborn lock than great force. (See Power's Tract called The Oiled ..."

3. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"Those with a dark crescent-like mark on the end of each feather of the hen are ... A somewhat similar breed of smaller size, with each feather of the hens ..."

4. A Text-book of Zoology by Thomas Jeffery Parker, William Aitcheson Haswell (1921)
"In an uninjured feather the barbs are closely connected so as to form a ... Structure of feather. A, small portion of feather with pieces of two barbs, ..."

5. Evolution of the Colors of North American Land Birds by Charles Augustus Keeler (1893)
"Thus figure 11 of Plate I shows a feather from the throat of Icterus cucullatus ... Figure 12 represents a feather from the back of the head of 1. bullocki, ..."

6. Archeological Explorations in Northeastern Arizona by Alfred Vincent Kidder, Samuel James Guernsey (1919)
"FUR AXD feather CLOTH As was stated in the section on Dress, we have no complete garments of either fur or feather cloth, but from the cists in' Cave Ia ..."

Other Resources: