Word Study
feather
CIDE DICTIONARY
feather, n. [OE. fether, AS. fe; akin to D. veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder, Icel. fjö, Sw. fjäder, Dan. fjæder, Gr. ptero`n wing, feather, pe`tesqai to fly, Skr. pattra wing, feather, pat to fly, and prob. to L. penna feather, wing. Pen a feather.].
- One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds, belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down. [1913 Webster]" 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 laminæ or barbs, which usually bear barbules, which in turn usually bear barbicels and interlocking hooks by which they are fastened together. See
Down ,Quill ,Plumage ." - Kind; nature; species; -- from the proverbial phrase, “Birds of a feather,” that is, of the same species. [1913 Webster]"I am not of that feather to shake off
My friend when he must need me." [1913 Webster] - The fringe of long hair on the legs of the setter and some other dogs. [1913 Webster]
- A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on a horse. [1913 Webster]
- One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water. [1913 Webster]" Feather is used adjectively or in combination, meaning composed of, or resembling, a feather or feathers; as, feather fan, feather-heeled, feather duster." [1913 Webster]
feather, v. t.
- To furnish with a feather or feathers, as an arrow or a cap. [1913 Webster]"An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow feathered from her own wing." [1913 Webster]
- To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe. [1913 Webster]"A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow ravines." [1913 Webster]
- To render light as a feather; to give wings to. [1913 Webster]"The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedious hours." [1913 Webster]
- To enrich; to exalt; to benefit. [1913 Webster]"They stuck not to say that the king cared not to plume his nobility and people to feather himself." Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- To tread, as a cock. Dryden. [1913 Webster]
feather, v. i.
- To grow or form feathers; to become feathered; -- often with out; as, the birds are feathering out. [1913 Webster]
- To curdle when poured into another liquid, and float about in little flakes or “feathers;” as, the cream feathers. [1913 Webster]
- To turn to a horizontal plane; -- said of oars. [1913 Webster]"The feathering oar returns the gleam." [1913 Webster]"Stopping his sculls in the air to feather accurately." [1913 Webster]
- To have the appearance of a feather or of feathers; to be or to appear in feathery form. [1913 Webster]"A clump of ancient cedars feathering in evergreen beauty down to the ground." [1913 Webster]"The ripple feathering from her bows." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
feather, n. & v.
--n.
1 any of the appendages growing from a bird's skin, with a horny hollow stem and fine strands.
2 one or more of these as decoration etc.
3 (collect.) a plumage. b game-birds.
--v.
1 tr. cover or line with feathers.
2 tr. Rowing turn (an oar) so that it passes through the air edgeways.
3 tr. Aeron. & Naut. a cause (the propeller blades) to rotate in such a way as to lessen the air or water resistance. b vary the angle of incidence of (helicopter blades).
4 intr. float, move, or wave like feathers.
--n.
1 any of the appendages growing from a bird's skin, with a horny hollow stem and fine strands.
2 one or more of these as decoration etc.
3 (collect.) a plumage. b game-birds.
--v.
1 tr. cover or line with feathers.
2 tr. Rowing turn (an oar) so that it passes through the air edgeways.
3 tr. Aeron. & Naut. a cause (the propeller blades) to rotate in such a way as to lessen the air or water resistance. b vary the angle of incidence of (helicopter blades).
4 intr. float, move, or wave like feathers.
Idiom
feather bed a bed with a mattress stuffed with feathers. feather-bed v.tr. (-bedded, -bedding) provide with (esp. financial) advantages. feather-bedding the employment of excess staff. feather-brain (or -head) a silly or absent-minded person. feather-brained (or -headed) silly, absent-minded. feather-edge the fine edge of a wedge-shaped board. a feather in one's cap an achievement to one's credit. feather one's nest enrich oneself. feather-stitch ornamental zigzag sewing. in fine (or high) feather colloq. in good spirits.
Derivative
feathered adj. (also in comb.). featherless adj. feathery adj. featheriness n.
Etymology
OE fether, gefithrian, f. Gmc
THESAURUS
feather
a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn, a hoot, air, bagatelle, bank, bauble, bead, bean, bejewel, beribbon, bespangle, bibelot, bit, blood, blubber, brand, brass farthing, breed, breeze, bubble, butter, button, cast, catch a crab, ceil, cent, chaff, character, chip, clan, clay, cobweb, color, cork, covert, crab, crest, curio, cushion, cut a crab, denomination, description, designation, diamond, dip, dough, down, dust, eiderdown, engrave, ether, face, fairy, farce, farthing, feather an oar, feather bed, feathers, fig, figure, filigree, fill, fishtail, flag, fleabite, fledge, fleece, floss, flounce, flower, flue, fluff, foam, folderol, form, fribble, frippery, froth, fur, fuzz, garland, gaud, gem, genre, genus, gewgaw, gimcrack, give way, gossamer, grain, hackle, hair, halfpenny, hill of beans, ilk, illuminate, inlay, interline, jest, jewel, joke, kapok, kickshaw, kidney, kin, kind, knickknack, knickknackery, label, line, load, loop, lot, mail, make, manner, mark, minikin, mockery, mold, molehill, mote, nature, number, order, pace, pack, pad, paddle, paint, panache, peppercorn, persuasion, phylum, picayune, pillow, pin, pinch of snuff, pinion, pinprick, plow, plumage, plume, plumule, plush, ply the oar, porpoise, pudding, puff, pull, pull out, pull up, punt, push down, putty, quill, race, rap, red cent, ribbon, roll, row, row away, row dry, row of pins, rubber, rush, satin, scapular, scull, shape, ship oars, shit, shoot, sideslip, silk, skid, sky an oar, snap, sneeshing, sort, sou, spangle, species, speculum, spin, spiral, sponge, spume, stamp, strain, straw, stripe, stuff, stunt, style, swansdown, the like of, the likes of, thistledown, tinsel, topknot, toy, tribe, trifle, trinket, triviality, tuft, tuppence, two cents, twopence, type, undulate, variety, velvet, wad, wainscot, wax, whim-wham, wool, wreathe, yaw, zephyrROGET THESAURUS
feather
Unimportance
N unimportance, insignificance, nothingness, immateriality, triviality, levity, frivolity, paltriness, poverty, smallness, vanity, matter of indifference, no object, nothing, nothing to signify, nothing worth speaking of, nothing particular, nothing to boast of, nothing to speak of, small matter, no great matter, trifling matter, mere joke, mere nothing, hardly anything, scarcely anything, nonentity, small beer, cipher, no great shakes, peu de chose, child's play, kinderspiel, toy, plaything, popgun, paper pellet, gimcrack, gewgaw, bauble, trinket, bagatelle, Rickshaw, knickknack, whim-wham, trifle, trifles light as air, yankee notions, trumpery, trash, rubbish, stuff, fatras, frippery, leather or prunello, chaff, drug, froth bubble smoke, cobweb, weed, refuse, scum, joke, jest, snap of the fingers, fudge, fiddlestick, fiddlestick end, pack of nonsense, mere farce, straw, pin, fig, button, rush, bulrush, feather, halfpenny, farthing, brass farthing, doit, peppercorn, jot, rap, pinch of snuff, old son, cent, mill, picayune, pistareen, red cent, minutiae, details, minor details, small fry, dust in the balance, feather in the scale, drop in the ocean, flea-bite, molehill, nine days' wonder, ridiculus mus, flash in the pan, much ado about nothing, unimportant, of little account, of small account, of no account, of little importance, of no importance, immaterial, unessential, nonessential, indifferent, subordinate, mediocre, passable, fair, respectable, tolerable, commonplace, uneventful, mere, common, ordinary, inconsiderable, so-so, insignificant, inappreciable, trifling, trivial, slight, slender, light, flimsy, frothy, idle, puerile, airy, shallow, weak, powerless, frivolous, petty, niggling, piddling, peddling, fribble, inane, ridiculous, farcical, finical, finikin, fiddle-faddle, fingle-fangle, namby-pamby, wishy-washy, milk and water, poor, paltry, pitiful, contemptible, sorry, mean, meager, shabby, miserable, wretched, vile, scrubby, scrannel, weedy, niggardly, scurvy, putid, beggarly, worthless, twopennyhalfpenny, cheap, trashy, catchpenny, gimcrack, trumpery, one- horse, not worth the pains, not worth while, not worth mentioning, not worth speaking of, not worth a thought, not worth a curse, not worth a straw, beneath notice, unworthy of notice, beneath regard, unworthy of regard, beneath consideration, unworthy of consideration, de lana caprina, vain, slightly, rather, somewhat, pretty well, tolerably, for aught one cares, Int, no matter!, pish!, tush!, tut!, pshaw!, pugh!, pooh, pooh-pooh!, fudge!, bosh!, humbug!, fiddlestick, fiddlestick end!, fiddlededee!, never mind!, n'importe!, what signifies it, what boots it, what of it, what of that, what matter, what's the odds, a fig for', stuff!, nonsense!, stuff and nonsense, magno conatu magnas nugas, le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle, it matters not, it does not signify, it is of no consequence, it is of no importance, elephantus non capit murem, tempete dans un verre d'eau.Class
N class, division, category, categorema, head, order, section, department, subdepartment, province, domain, kind, sort, genus, species, variety, family, order, kingdom, race, tribe, caste, sept, clan, breed, type, subtype, kit, sect, set, subset, assortment, feather, kidney, suit, range, gender, sex, kin, manner, description, denomination, designation, rubric, character, stamp predicament, indication, particularization, selection, specification, similarity.Ornament
N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.Title
N title, honor, knighthood, highness, excellency, grace, lordship, worship, reverence, reverend, esquire, sir, master, Mr, signor, senor, Mein Herr, mynheer, your honor, his honor, serene highness, handle to one's name, decoration, laurel, palm, wreath, garland, bays, medal, ribbon, riband, blue ribbon, cordon, cross, crown, coronet, star, garter, feather, feather in one's cap, epaulet, epaulette, colors, cockade, livery, order, arms, shield, scutcheon, reward.Roughness
N roughness, tooth, grain, texture, ripple, asperity, rugosity, salebrosity, corrugation, nodosity, arborescence, pilosity, brush, hair, beard, shag, mane, whisker, moustache, imperial, tress, lock, curl, ringlet, fimbriae, pili, cilia, villi, lovelock, beaucatcher, curl paper, goatee, papillote, scalp lock, plumage, plumosity, plume, panache, crest, feather, tuft, fringe, toupee, wool, velvet, plush, nap, pile, floss, fur, down, byssus, moss, bur, fluff, knot (convolution), rough, uneven, scabrous, scaly, knotted, rugged, rugose, rugous, knurly, asperous, crisp, salebrous, gnarled, unpolished, unsmooth, roughhewn, craggy, cragged, crankling, scraggy, prickly, arborescent, leafy, well-wooded, feathery, plumose, plumigerous, laciniate, laciniform, laciniose, pappose, pileous, pilose, trichogenous, trichoid, tufted, fimbriated, hairy, ciliated, filamentous, hirsute, crinose, crinite, bushy, hispid, villous, pappous, bearded, pilous, shaggy, shagged, fringed, befringed, setous, setose, setaceous, like quills upon the fretful porcupine, rough as a nutmeg grater, rough as a bear, downy, velvety, flocculent, woolly, lanate, lanated, lanuginous, lanuginose, tomentose, fluffy, against the grain, cabello luengo y corto el seso.Levity
N levity, lightness, imponderability, buoyancy, volatility, feather, dust, mote, down, thistle, down, flue, cobweb, gossamer, straw, cork, bubble, balloon, float, buoy, ether, air, leaven, ferment, barm, yeast, lighter-than-air balloon, helium balloon, hydrogen balloon, hot air balloon, convection, thermal draft, thermal, light, subtile, airy, imponderous, imponderable, astatic, weightless, ethereal, sublimated, gossamery, suberose, suberous, uncompressed, volatile, buoyant, floating, portable, light as a feather, light as a thistle, light as air, lighter than air, rise like a balloon, float like a balloon.For further exploring for "feather" in Webster Dictionary Online
