feature

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: fea=ture

CIDE DICTIONARY

feature, n. [OE. feture form, shape, feature, OF. faiture fashion, make, fr. L. factura a making, formation, fr. facere, factum, to make. See Feat, Fact, and cf. Facture.].

•  The make, form, or outward appearance of a person; the whole turn or style of the body; esp., good appearance.  [1913 Webster]

  "What needeth it his feature to descrive?"  [1913 Webster]

  "Cheated of feature by dissembling nature."  [1913 Webster]
•  The make, cast, or appearance of the human face, and especially of any single part of the face; a lineament. (pl.) The face, the countenance.  [1913 Webster]

  "It is for homely features to keep home."  [1913 Webster]
•  The cast or structure of anything, or of any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic; as, one of the features of the landscape.  [1913 Webster]

  "And to her service bind each living creature
  Through secret understanding of their feature."  [1913 Webster]
•  A form; a shape.  [1913 Webster]

  "So scented the grim feature, and upturned
  His nostril wide into the murky air."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

feature, n. & v.
--n.
1 a distinctive or characteristic part of a thing.
2 (usu. in pl.) a distinctive part of the face, esp. with regard to shape and visual effect.
3 a distinctive or regular article in a newspaper or magazine.
4 a (in full feature film) a full-length film intended as the main item in a cinema programme. b (in full feature programme) a broadcast devoted to a particular topic.
--v.
1 tr. make a special display or attraction of; give special prominence to.
2 tr. & intr. have as or be an important actor, participant, or topic in a film, broadcast, etc.
3 intr. be a feature.

Derivative

featured adj. (also in comb.). featureless adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF feture, faiture form f. L factura formation: see FACTURE

THESAURUS

feature

3-D, Cinemascope, Cinerama, Technicolor, Western, act, adjunct, advertise, affection, air, angle, animated cartoon, appurtenance, aroma, article, article of commerce, article of merchandise, aspect, attribute, authoritative, badge, be, be a gas, be a hit, be into, be strong in, bearing, best part, bill, birthmark, black-and-white film, bomb, brand, brow, cachet, call attention to, carriage, cartoon, cast, cast of countenance, causerie, character, characteristic, chiller, cinema, circumstance, color, color film, column, commodity, complexion, component, configuration, confine, confined, constituent, contents, countenance, creepie, cut, demeanor, descant, detail, dial, differentia, differential, discourse, discussion, disquisition, dissertation, distinctive feature, documentary, documentary film, dramatize, draw, drawing card, drug, earmark, educational film, effect, eidolon, element, emphasize, essay, etude, examination, excursus, expert, exposition, face, facet, facial appearance, factor, fail, fashion, favor, featured, features, figure, film, first approach, fixings, flavor, flick, flicker, flop, follow, form, garb, gestalt, go in for, guise, gust, hallmark, headline, high point, high spot, highlight, homily, horror picture, horse opera, hype, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy, image, imago, impress, impression, index, individualism, individuality, ingredient, integrant, introductory study, item, keynote, kisser, knowledgeable, lead item, leader, leading card, light, likeness, limit, limited, lineaments, lines, look, looks, loss leader, lucubration, main feature, major in, make a hit, makings, manner, mannerism, map, mark, marking, melodramatize, memoir, mien, minor in, mold, monograph, morceau, motion picture, motion-picture show, mount, movie, moving picture, mug, narrow, nature, newsreel, note, nudie, odor, open, open a show, outline, outstanding feature, pan, pandect, paper, paragraph, part, part and parcel, participate, particular, particularity, peculiarity, perform, phase, phasis, phiz, photodrama, photoplay, physiognomy, picture, picture show, piece, play up, point, pornographic film, port, posture, preliminary study, premiere, presence, present, preview, produce, product, prolegomenon, promote, property, publicize, puff up, pursue, puss, put on, quality, quirk, reference, regard, research paper, respect, restrict, restricted, savor, scenarize, screed, seal, seconds, seeming, semblance, set the stage, shape, short, side, silent, silent film, simulacrum, singularity, sketch, skin flick, slant, smack, sneak preview, spaghetti Western, special, special article, specialist, specialistic, speciality, specialize, specialize in, specialized, specialty, spotlight, stage, stamp, stance, standard article, staple, staple item, star, stress, study, style, succeed, survey, taint, talkie, talking picture, tang, taste, technical, term paper, theatricalize, theme, thesis, thriller, token, total effect, tract, tractate, trailer, trait, traits, treatise, treatment, trick, try out, turn, twist, underground film, underscore, vendible, view, viewpoint, virtue, visage, ware, wise

ROGET THESAURUS

feature

Component

N component, component part, integral part, integrant part, element, constituent, ingredient, leaven, part and parcel, contents, appurtenance, feature, member, personnel, forming, inclusive.

Form

N form, figure, shape, conformation, configuration, make, formation, frame, construction, cut, set, build, trim, cut of one's jib, stamp, type, cast, mold, fashion, contour, structure, plasmature, feature, lineament, turn, phase, posture, attitude, pose, morphism, isomorphism, forming, formation, figuration, efformation, sculpture, plasmation, formed, plastic, fictile, formative, fluid, plasmic, isomorphous, pleomorphic, protean, changeable.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.