feather /fedhˈər/

1. One of the light growths that form the soft covering of a bird
2. Anything resembling this, eg an ornament
3. A set of these, or synthetic substitutes, on the end of an arrow, to aid flight
4. Plumage
5. Condition
6. Birds collectively
7. Anything light or trifling
8. A projecting longitudinal rib or strip
9. Feather-edge
10. A wedge
11. A formation of hair, eg on the legs of certain breeds of dog or horse
12. The act of moving an oar edgewise through the air, to lessen resistance
13. A foamy wave or wave crest, esp that caused by a submarine's periscope

1. To provide, cover or adorn with a feather or feathers
2. To turn (an oar) parallel to the water, to lessen air-resistance, or to make (a propeller-blade, etc) rotate in such a way as to lessen resistance
3. To shape (hair) by trimming and thinning
4. To touch lightly

1. To take on the appearance of a feather
2. To quiver the tail

feathˈered adjective

1. Covered or fitted with feathers, or anything featherlike
2. Like the flight of a feathered animal, swift

feathˈeriness noun

feathˈering noun

1. Plumage
2. The addition of a feather or feathers
3. A featherlike appearance
4. An arrangement of small arcs separated by cusps, within an arch (architecture)

feathˈerlike adjective

feathˈery adjective

Relating to, resembling, or covered with feathers or an appearance of feathers

feather bed noun

A mattress filled with feathers or down

feathˈerbed transitive verb

1. To pamper
2. To protect (an industry, workers, etc) by such practices as overmanning in order to save jobs
3. To provide with financial inducements (informal)

featherbedˈding noun

feathˈer-boarding same as weatherboarding (see under weather)

feather-bonnˈet noun

A Highland soldier's feather-covered headdress

feathˈer-brain noun (also feathˈer-head or feathˈer-pate (archaic)

) a frivolous, silly person

feathˈer-brained (also feathˈer-headed) adjective

feather cut noun

A style of haircut in which the hair is left thin and fine in texture

feather duster noun

A light brush of feathers, used for dusting

feathˈer-edge noun

An edge of a board or plank thinner than the other edge

feathˈer-grass noun

A perennial grass (genus Stipa) with a feathery beard

feather palm noun

Any palm with feather-shaped leaves

feather star see crinoid

feather stitch noun

One of a series of stitches making a zigzag line

feathˈerweight noun

1. The lightest weight that may be carried by a racehorse
2. A weight category, applied esp in boxing
3. A sportsperson of the specified weight for the category (eg in professional boxing above bantamweight, junior featherweight or super bantamweight (maximum 55kg/122lb), featherweight (maximum 57kg/126lb), and super featherweight or junior lightweight (maximum 59kg/130lb))
4. Anyone of little consequence

a feather in one's cap

An achievement of which one can be proud

birds of a feather

People of similar character

feathered friend (humorous)

A bird

feather one's nest

To accumulate wealth for oneself while working for others in a position of trust

in full or high feather

Greatly elated or in high spirits

make the feathers fly

To create a turmoil or uproar

ruffle someone's feathers

To upset or offend someone

show the white feather

To show signs of cowardice, a white feather in a gamecock's tail being considered as a sign of degeneracy

• conchal
• conchate
• conche
• conched
• conches
• conchie
• conchies
• conchiferous
• conchiform
• conchiglie
• conching
• conchiolin
• conchiolins
• conchitis
• conchitises
• conchoid
• conchoidal
• conchoids
• conchological
• conchologies
• conchologist
• conchologists
• conchology
• conchs
• conchy