A bird's feathers are the soft covering on its body. Each feather consists of a lot of smooth hairs on each side of a thin stiff centre.
...a hat that she had made herself from black ostrich feathers.
...a feather bed.
Synonyms: plume More Synonyms of feather
2. See also feathered
3.
See birds of a feather
4.
See feather in one's cap
5. to feather one's nest
6. to ruffle someone's feathers
feather in British English
(ˈfɛðə)
noun
1.
any of the flat light waterproof epidermal structures forming the plumage of birds, each consisting of a hollow shaft having a vane of barbs on either side. They are essential for flight and help maintain body temperature
2.
something resembling a feather, such as a tuft of hair or grass
3. archery
a.
a bird's feather or artificial substitute fitted to an arrow to direct its flight
b.
the feathered end of an arrow, opposite the head
4.
a strip, spline, or tongue of wood fitted into a groove
5.
the wake created on the surface of the water by the raised periscope of a submarine
6. rowing
the position of an oar turned parallel to the water between strokes
Compare square (sense 8)
7.
a step in ballroom dancing in which a couple maintain the conventional hold but dance side by side
8.
condition of spirits; fettle
in fine feather
9.
something of negligible value; jot
I don't care a feather
10. birds of a feather
11. feather in one's cap
12. not take a feather out of someone
verb
13. (transitive)
to fit, cover, or supply with feathers
14. (transitive)
to touch lightly
15. rowing
to turn (an oar) parallel to the water during recovery between strokes, principally in order to lessen wind resistance
Compare square (sense 41)
16.
(in canoeing) to turn (a paddle) parallel to the direction of the canoe between strokes, while keeping it in thewater, principally in order to move silently
17.
to change the pitch of (an aircraft propeller) so that the chord lines of the blades are in line with the airflow
18. (transitive)
to join (two boards) by means of a tongue-and-groove joint
19. (intransitive)
(of a bird) to grow feathers
20. (intransitive)
to move or grow like feathers
21. feather one's nest
Derived forms
featherless (ˈfeatherless)
adjective
feather-like (ˈfeather-ˌlike)
adjective
feathery (ˈfeathery)
adjective
Word origin
Old English fether; related to Old Frisian fethere, Old Norse fjöthr feather, Old High German fedara wing, Greek petesthai to fly, Sanskrit patati he flies
feather in American English
(ˈfɛðər)
noun
1. Zoology
any of the growths covering the body of a bird or making up a large part of the wingsurface, as down or contour feathers: a typical contour feather consists of a horny central shaft, partly hollow, from which light, soft, narrow barbs, with interlocking barbules and barbicels, extend to form a thin, flat surface
2.
a feather or featherlike part fastened to the shaft of an arrow to help control its flight
3.
anything like or suggesting a feather or feathers in appearance, lightness, etc.
, as
a.
a trifle
b.
a projecting part, esp. for fitting into a groove
c.
an irregular flaw in a gem
d.
the fringe of hair along the tail and along the back of the legs of some dogs
4. [pl.]; Archaic
a.
plumage
b.
attire; dress
5.
class; kind
enthusiasts of every feather
6.
frame of mind; temper; vein
7.
the act of feathering an oar or propeller
verb transitive
8.
to provide (an arrow, etc.) with a feather
9.
to cover, fit, or fringe with or as with feathers
10.
to give a featheredge to
11.
to join by inserting a wedge-shaped part into a groove
12.
to turn (the blade of an oar) parallel to the line of movement in recovering after a stroke, so as to offer the least resistance to air or water
13.
a.
to turn (the blade of a propeller) on its shaft so that its leading and trailing edges are nearly parallel with the airplane's line of flight, thus preventing engine damage caused by airflow turning the propeller during an engine failure
b.
to change the angle of the blades of a helicopter rotor
verb intransitive
14.
to grow, or become covered with, feathers
15.
to move, grow, or extend like feathers
16.
to look like feathers
17.
to feather an oar or propeller
Idioms:
feather in one's cap
feather one's nest
in feather
in fine feather
Derived forms
featherless (ˈfeatherless)
adjective
Word origin
ME fether < OE; akin to Ger feder < IE base *pet-, to fall, fly > Gr pteron, wing, piptein, L petere, to fall, Sans pátati, (he) flies
More idioms containing
feather
you could have knocked me down with a feather
a feather in someone's cap
birds of a feather flock together
birds of a feather
light as a feather
feather your nest
Examples of 'feather' in a sentence
feather
The train had the odd little ostrich feather dotted around.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But that same feather touch means it lacks feedback on the open road.
The Sun (2017)
It's agile and easy on the arms and light as a feather.
The Sun (2016)
The danced ending is a joy to behold - redemption amid a magical blizzard of white feathers.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is entirely so they can apply to uni with another feather in their cap rather than because they have an interest in the arts.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The bird feathers attached to various artifacts are of interest, as they can giveanthropologists further insight into customs and trade.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
Place the end of the feather within the silicone bead.
The Sun (2014)
They always go up like a rocket and come down like a feather.
The Sun (2015)
They feel safer there when they have shed their flight feathers.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They throw the ballerinas around as if they are light as feathers.
The Sun (2010)
My beautifully framed and glazed pink ostrich feather fan?
Alexander Masters STUART: A Life Backwards (2005)
She was marvellous and her feathered hat remained unruffled as she took her seat in the audience.
The Sun (2012)
Trees are almost entirely white with feathers.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Tamara ran her fingers through his hair and touched his white feather.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
They grow their full feathers in the weeks after leaving the nest.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Look out for things like white feathers and birds that appear to follow you aroundthe garden.
The Sun (2013)
The story of our doomed feathered friend was one of the most read news items this week.
The Sun (2013)
But for all that the defects are blown away like feathers before the wind.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
It feels as light as a feather.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Thus did he receive the white feather.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
So you have to sort of crawl into a feather bed and let the blows rain on you.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It has helped support projects from smart watches to ostrich feather pillows and helps the enterprising to succeed.
The Sun (2014)
Which had feathers in the end.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The supermodel accessorised with a seriously glam feather boa and heels - not your average bedroom attire.
The Sun (2014)
After the interval the home side emerged, feathers ruffled.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
On its long wings now replete with shiny new flight feathers it was having some difficulty steering a course in the stiff breeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Once in the club, civil servants feathered their beds.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
A feather in his cap or a spanner in the works?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The winners will have a feather in their caps, with the prospect of a medal for their necks to follow.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Word lists with
feather
terms used in aviation
In other languages
feather
British English: feather /ˈfɛðə/ NOUN
A bird's feathers are the light soft things covering its body.
...black ostrich feathers.
American English: feather
Arabic: رِيشَة
Brazilian Portuguese: pena
Chinese: 羽毛
Croatian: pero
Czech: pero ptačí
Danish: fjer
Dutch: veer pluim
European Spanish: pluma
Finnish: höyhen
French: plume
German: Feder
Greek: πούπουλο
Italian: piuma
Japanese: 羽
Korean: 깃털
Norwegian: fjær
Polish: pióro poduszka
European Portuguese: pena
Romanian: pană
Russian: перо
Latin American Spanish: pluma
Swedish: fjäder fjun
Thai: ขนนก
Turkish: tüy
Ukrainian: перо
Vietnamese: lông vũ
All related terms of 'feather'
feather bed
a mattress filled with feathers or down
feather boa
any large nonvenomous snake of the family Boidae , most of which occur in Central and South America and the Caribbean . They have vestigial hind limbs and kill their prey by constriction
feather cut
a way of cutting hair into spiky , feather-like points
feather key
a rectangular key connecting the keyways of a shaft and a hub of a gear , pulley , etc., fastened in one keyway and free to slide in the other so that the hub can drive or be driven by the shaft at various positions along it
in feather
feathered
sea feather
any of several anthozoans with the skeleton branched into a featherlike form, as the sea pen
cock feather
the odd-coloured feather set on the shaft of an arrow at right angles to the nock
feather grass
a perennial grass , Stipa pennata, native to the steppes of Europe and N Asia, cultivated as an ornament for its feathery inflorescence
feather palm
any of various palm trees , such as the wax palm and date palm, that have pinnate or feather-like leaves
feather star
any free-swimming crinoid echinoderm of the genus Antedon and related genera, living on muddy sea bottoms and having ten feathery arms radiating from a small central disc
shaft feather
one of the two fletchings on an arrow
tail feather
one of the feathers making up a bird's tail
white feather
a symbol or mark of cowardice
contour feather
any of the feathers that cover the body of an adult bird, apart from the wings and tail , and determine its shape
feather duster
A feather duster is a stick with a bunch of real or artificial feathers attached to one end. It is used for dusting and cleaning things.
feather pillow
A feather pillow is a soft piece of cloth , filled with feathers, used to rest your head on in bed .
feather-veined
(of a leaf ) having a network of veins branching from the midrib to the margin
flight feather
any of the large stiff feathers that cover the wings and tail of a bird and are adapted for flying
peacock feather
a ( distinctive and brightly coloured) feather from the peacock
primary feather
any of the flight feathers growing from the manus of a bird's wing
sickle feather
any of the elongated tail feathers of certain birds, esp the domestic cock
prince's feather
an amaranthaceous garden plant, Amaranthus hybridus hypochondriacus, with spikes of bristly brownish-red flowers
feather one's nest
to provide oneself with comforts , esp financial
feather your nest
to take advantage of your position in order to get a lot of money, so that you can lead a comfortable life
in fine feather
in very good humor, health , or form
tar and feather
to punish by smearing tar and feathers over (someone)
birds of a feather
If you refer to two people as birds of a feather , you mean that they have the same interests or are very similar .
light as a feather
weighing very little
feather in one's cap
If you describe something that someone has achieved as a feather in their cap , you mean that they can be proud of it or that it might bring them some advantage .
to feather one's nest
If you say that someone is feathering their nest , you mean that they are getting a lot of money out of something, so that they can lead a comfortable life.
show the white feather
to act in a cowardly manner
a feather in someone's cap
something that someone has done very well ,which deserves admiration
birds of a feather flock together
said to mean that people from the same group or with the same interests like to be with each other
not take a feather out of someone
to fail to upset or injure someone
you could have knocked me down with a feather
said to mean that you were extremely surprised or shocked by something
Chinese translation of 'feather'
feather
(ˈfɛðəʳ)
n(c)
[of bird]羽毛 (yǔmáo) (根, gēn)
cpd
[mattress, bed, pillow]羽绒(絨) (yǔróng)
vt
to feather one's nest中饱(飽)私囊 (zhōngbǎo sīnáng)
a feather in one's cap引以为(為)豪的成就 (yǐn yǐ wéi háo de chéngjiù)
(noun)
Definition
any of the flat light structures that form the plumage of birds, each consisting of a shaft with soft thin hairs on either side