DEEn Dictionary De - En
DeEs De - Es
DePt De - Pt
 Vocabulary trainer

Spec. subjects Grammar Abbreviations Random search Preferences
Search in Sprachauswahl
feather
Search for:
Mini search box
 
English Dictionary: feather by the DICT Development Group
4 results for feather
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
feather
n
  1. the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
    Synonym(s): feather, plume, plumage
  2. turning an oar parallel to the water between pulls
    Synonym(s): feather, feathering
v
  1. join tongue and groove, in carpentry
  2. cover or fit with feathers
  3. turn the paddle; in canoeing
    Synonym(s): feather, square
  4. turn the oar, while rowing
    Synonym(s): feather, square
  5. grow feathers; "The young sparrows are fledging already"
    Synonym(s): fledge, feather
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Feather \Feath"er\, n. [OE. fether, AS. fe[?]der; akin to D.
      veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder, Icel. fj[94][?]r, Sw.
      fj[84]der, Dan. fj[91]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[91] 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,
            [bd]Birds of a feather,[b8] 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[94]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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Feather \Feath"er\, v. i.
      1. To grow or form feathers; to become feathered; -- often
            with out; as, the birds are feathering out.
  
      2. To curdle when poured into another liquid, and float about
            in little flakes or [bd]feathers;[b8] as, the cream
            feathers [Colloq.]
  
      3. To turn to a horizontal plane; -- said of oars.
  
                     The feathering oar returns the gleam. --Tickell.
  
                     Stopping his sculls in the air to feather
                     accurately.                                       --Macmillan's
                                                                              Mag.
  
      4. To have the appearance of a feather or of feathers; to be
            or to appear in feathery form.
  
                     A clump of ancient cedars feathering in evergreen
                     beauty down to the ground.                  --Warren.
  
                     The ripple feathering from her bows.   --Tennyson.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Feather \Feath"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Feathered}; p. pr. &
      vb. n. {Feathering.}]
      1. To furnish with a feather or feathers, as an arrow or a
            cap.
  
                     An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow
                     feathered from her own wing.               --L'Estrange.
  
      2. To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe.
  
                     A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow
                     ravines.                                             --Sir W.
                                                                              Scott.
  
      3. To render light as a feather; to give wings to.[R.]
  
                     The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedions
                     hours.                                                --Loveday.
  
      4. To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.
  
                     They stuck not to say that the king cared not to
                     plume his nobility and people to feather himself.
                                                                              --Bacon.
            --Dryden.
  
      5. To tread, as a cock. --Dryden.
  
      {To feather one's nest}, to provide for one's self especially
            from property belonging to another, confided to one's
            care; -- an expression taken from the practice of birds
            which collect feathers for the lining of their nests.
  
      {To feather an oar} (Naut), to turn it when it leaves the
            water so that the blade will be horizontal and offer the
            least resistance to air while reaching for another stroke.
           
  
      {To tar and feather a person}, to smear him with tar and
            cover him with feathers, as a punishment or an indignity.
No guarantee of accuracy or completeness!
©TU Chemnitz, 2006-2023
Your feedback:
Ad partners