feather

feath·er

F0061400 (fĕth′ər) n. 1. One of the light, flat structures growing from the skin of birds, consisting of numerous slender, closely arranged parallel barbs forming a vane on either side of a horny, tapering, partly hollow shaft. 2. A feathery tuft or fringe of hair, as on the legs or tail of some dogs. 3. Character, kind, or nature: Birds of a feather flock together. 4. a. A strip, wedge, or flange used as a strengthening part. b. A wedge or key that fits into a groove to make a joint. 5. The vane of an arrow. 6. A feather-shaped flaw, as in a precious stone. 7. The wake made by a submarine's periscope. 8. The act of feathering the blade of an oar in rowing. v. feath·ered, feath·er·ing, feath·ers v. tr. 1. To cover, dress, or decorate with feathers or featherlike projections. 2. To fit (an arrow) with a feather. 3. a. To thin, reduce, or fringe the edge of (wood, for example) by cutting, shaving, or making thinner. b. To spread (paint, for example) thinly at the edges so as to blend with the surrounding area. c. To shorten and taper (hair) by cutting and thinning. d. To blur or soften the edge of (an image). 4. To apply (a brake, throttle, or other control) gently or slightly and steadily. 5. To turn (an oar blade) almost horizontal as it is carried back after each stroke. 6. a. To alter the pitch of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are parallel with the line of flight. b. To alter the pitch of (the rotor of a helicopter) while in forward flight. 7. To turn off (an aircraft engine) while in flight. v. intr. 1. To grow feathers or become feathered. 2. To move, spread, or grow in a manner suggestive of feathers: "Steam feathered out from under the bathroom door" (Melinda Hayes). 3. To become thin or less dense at the edges: "That lipstick had feathered out in the corners of her mouth" (Erin McCarthy). 4. To feather an oar. 5. To feather a propeller. Idioms: feather in (one's) cap An act or deed to one's credit; a distinctive achievement. feather (one's) nest To grow wealthy by taking advantage of one's position or by making use of property or funds left in one's trust. in fine (or good or high) featherIn excellent form, health, or humor.

[Middle English fether, from Old English; see pet- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

feather

(ˈfɛðə) n1. (Zoology) 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 temperature2. something resembling a feather, such as a tuft of hair or grass3. (Archery) archery a. a bird's feather or artificial substitute fitted to an arrow to direct its flightb. the feathered end of an arrow, opposite the head4. (Building) a strip, spline, or tongue of wood fitted into a groove5. (Nautical Terms) the wake created on the surface of the water by the raised periscope of a submarine6. (Rowing) rowing the position of an oar turned parallel to the water between strokes. Compare square⁸7. (Dancing) a step in ballroom dancing in which a couple maintain the conventional hold but dance side by side8. condition of spirits; fettle: in fine feather. 9. something of negligible value; jot: I don't care a feather. 10. birds of a feather people of the same type, character, or interests11. feather in one's cap a cause for pleasure at one's achievements: your promotion is a feather in your cap. 12. not take a feather out of someone not knock a feather out of someone Irish to fail to upset or injure someone: it didn't take a feather out of him. vb13. (tr) to fit, cover, or supply with feathers14. (tr) to touch lightly15. (Rowing) rowing to turn (an oar) parallel to the water during recovery between strokes, principally in order to lessen wind resistance. Compare square⁴¹16. (Rowing) (in canoeing) to turn (a paddle) parallel to the direction of the canoe between strokes, while keeping it in the water, principally in order to move silently17. (Aeronautics) to change the pitch of (an aircraft propeller) so that the chord lines of the blades are in line with the airflow18. (Building) (tr) to join (two boards) by means of a tongue-and-groove joint19. (Zoology) (intr) (of a bird) to grow feathers20. (intr) to move or grow like feathers21. feather one's nest to provide oneself with comforts, esp financial[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] ˈfeatherless adj ˈfeather-ˌlike adj ˈfeathery adj

feath•er

(ˈfɛð ər)

n. 1. one of the horny epidermal structures that form the principal covering of birds, consisting of a hollow shaft bearing a series of slender barbs that interlock to form a flat surface on each side. 2. kind; character; nature: two boys of the same feather. 3. condition, as of health, spirits, etc. 4. something like a feather, as a tuft or fringe of hair. 5. something very light, small, or trivial. 6. one of the vanes at the tail of an arrow or dart, for stabilization in flight. 7. a spline for joining the grooved edges of two boards. 8. a featherlike flaw, esp. in a precious stone. 9. Archaic. attire (def. 2). 10. Obs. plumage. v.t. 11. to provide with feathers, as an arrow. 12. to clothe or cover with or as if with feathers. 13. to turn (an oar) after a stroke so that the blade becomes nearly horizontal, and hold it thus as it is moved back into position for the next stroke. 14. a. to change the blade angle of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are approximately parallel to the line of flight. b. to turn off (an aircraft engine) while in flight. v.i. 15. to grow feathers. 16. to be or become feathery in appearance. 17. to feather an oar. Idioms: 1. a feather in one's cap, a praiseworthy achievement; honor. 2. feather one's nest, to enrich oneself by exploiting one's favorable or privileged position. [before 900; Middle English, Old English fether] feath′er•less, adj. feath′er•like`, adj.

feath·er

(fĕth′ər) One of the light, flat structures that cover the skin of birds. A feather has a narrow, hollow shaft bearing flat vanes formed of many parallel barbs. The barbs of outer feathers are formed of even smaller structures (called barbules) that interlock. The barbs of down feathers do not interlock.

feather

Past participle: feathered
Gerund: feathering

Imperative
feather
feather

Present
I feather
you feather
he/she/it feathers
we feather
you feather
they feather

Preterite
I feathered
you feathered
he/she/it feathered
we feathered
you feathered
they feathered

Present Continuous
I am feathering
you are feathering
he/she/it is feathering
we are feathering
you are feathering
they are feathering

Present Perfect
I have feathered
you have feathered
he/she/it has feathered
we have feathered
you have feathered
they have feathered

Past Continuous
I was feathering
you were feathering
he/she/it was feathering
we were feathering
you were feathering
they were feathering

Past Perfect
I had feathered
you had feathered
he/she/it had feathered
we had feathered
you had feathered
they had feathered

Future
I will feather
you will feather
he/she/it will feather
we will feather
you will feather
they will feather

Future Perfect
I will have feathered
you will have feathered
he/she/it will have feathered
we will have feathered
you will have feathered
they will have feathered

Future Continuous
I will be feathering
you will be feathering
he/she/it will be feathering
we will be feathering
you will be feathering
they will be feathering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been feathering
you have been feathering
he/she/it has been feathering
we have been feathering
you have been feathering
they have been feathering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been feathering
you will have been feathering
he/she/it will have been feathering
we will have been feathering
you will have been feathering
they will have been feathering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been feathering
you had been feathering
he/she/it had been feathering
we had been feathering
you had been feathering
they had been feathering

Conditional
I would feather
you would feather
he/she/it would feather
we would feather
you would feather
they would feather

Past Conditional
I would have feathered
you would have feathered
he/she/it would have feathered
we would have feathered
you would have feathered
they would have feathered

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	feather - the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birdsplumage, plumebird - warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wingsdown, down feather - soft fine feathersaftershaft - a supplementary feather (usually small) on the underside of the base of the shaft of some feathers in some birdscontour feather - feathers covering the body of an adult bird and determining its shapebastard wing, spurious wing, alula - tuft of small stiff feathers on the first digit of a bird's wingmarabou - the downy feathers of marabou storks are used for trimming garmentsweb, vane - the flattened weblike part of a feather consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shafthackle - long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and pheasantsquill, calamus, shaft - the hollow spine of a featherflight feather, quill feather, pinion, quill - any of the larger wing or tail feathers of a birdscapular - a feather covering the shoulder of a birdbody covering - any covering for the body or a body partceratin, keratin - a fibrous scleroprotein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in horny tissues such as hair, feathers, nails, and hoovesanimal material - material derived from animalsmelanin - insoluble pigments that account for the color of e.g. skin and scales and feathers
	2.	feather - turning an oar parallel to the water between pullsfeatheringrotary motion, rotation - the act of rotating as if on an axis; "the rotation of the dancer kept time with the music"rowing, row - the act of rowing as a sport
Verb	1.	feather - join tongue and groove, in carpentryconjoin, join - make contact or come together; "The two roads join here"
	2.	feather - cover or fit with featherscover - provide with a covering or cause to be covered; "cover her face with a handkerchief"; "cover the child with a blanket"; "cover the grave with flowers"
	3.	feather - turn the paddle; in canoeingsquarepaddle - propel with a paddle; "paddle your own canoe"
	4.	feather - turn the oar, while rowingsquarerow - propel with oars; "row the boat across the lake"
	5.	feather - grow feathers; "The young sparrows are fledging already"fledgeacquire, develop, produce, grow, get - come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes); "He grew a beard"; "The patient developed abdominal pains"; "I got funny spots all over my body"; "Well-developed breasts"

feather

noun1. plume a purple hat with a green featherplural noun1. plumage, plumes, down black ostrich feathersa feather in your cap achievement, success, accomplishment It was a feather in his cap to be at a good college.Related words
fear pteronophobia

feather

nounA class that is defined by the common attribute or attributes possessed by all its members:breed, cast, description, ilk, kind, lot, manner, mold, nature, order, sort, species, stamp, stripe, type, variety.Informal: persuasion.

Translations

羽毛用羽毛装饰

feather

(ˈfeðə) noun one of the things that grow from a bird's skin that form the covering of its body. They cleaned the oil off the seagull's feathers.羽毛 verb to line, cover or decorate with feathers. The eagle feathers its nest with down from its own breast.用羽毛装饰ˈfeathered adjective有羽毛的ˈfeathery adjective1. of, like, or covered in, a feather or feathers. a feathery hat.插有羽毛的2. soft and light. a feathery touch.轻软的a feather in one's cap something one can be proud of. Winning the race was quite a feather in his cap.可以夸耀的事物feather one's (own) nest to gain money for oneself or to make oneself rich while serving others in a position of trust. All the time he has been a member of that committee he has been feathering his own nest.营私

feather

→ 羽毛zhCN

feather

Feather,

river, 80 mi (129 km) long, rising in three forks in the Sierra Nevada, uniting N of Oroville, Calif., and flowing S into the Sacramento River, N of Sacramento, Calif. The Feather River basin was a rich source of gold in the mid-1800s. The Feather River project (1957–68), which includes Oroville DamOroville Dam,
770 ft (235 m) high and 7,600 ft (2,317 m) long, on the Feather River, N Calif., near the city of Oroville. The highest dam in the United States and the largest unit of the Feather River project, the dam was built (1957–68) to provide electric power, drinking
..... Click the link for more information. , furnishes central and S California with water and provides flood control, recreation, and hydroelectricity in the river basin.

Feather

A specialized keratinous outgrowth of the skin, which is a unique characteristic of birds. Feathers are highly complex structures that provide insulation, protection against mechanical damage, and protective coloration, and also function significantly in behavior. One special functional role is in flight, where feathers provide propulsive surfaces and a body surface aerodynamically suitable for flight. Feathers are used in maintenance of balance and occasionally in the capture of prey and various specialized displays.

Types of feathers

A representative definitive feather contains a single long central axis which supports a row of small branchlike structures along each side (barbs). Barbs form the vane, or web, of the feather. Individual barbs branch off at variable angles and point toward the outer tip of the feather. The barbules are small branches from the barbs. They lie in the same plane as the barbs and arise in rows from their anterior and posterior surfaces. The anterior barbules have a flattened base and a series of small hooklike projections which attach to the proximal ridge of the posterior barbules of the next barb, forming an interlocking structure characterized by its great strength and light weight. All feather types consist basically of these structural elements.

Most of the superficial feathers are contour feathers (pennae). These include the large flight feathers (remiges) of the wing and the long tail feathers (rectrices). Other common feather types include the down feathers (plumulae), intermediate types (semiplumes), and filoplumes (see illustration).

Feathers normally undergo attrition because of the physical abuse attendant to the normal activity of birds. In most species, feathers are replaced completely at least annually, and many of the feathers are replaced more frequently. The sequence of feather molt is surprisingly orderly. Penguins, which shed large patches of feathers in an irregular pattern, are an exception. In most species the power of flight is retained during molt. The molt, that is, the normal shedding of feathers and their replacement by a new generation of feathers, is a single growth process which is actively concerned only with the production of the new generation of feathers. The old feathers are pushed out of the follicles passively.

A major physiological role of feathers is to provide insulation. This is accomplished by regulating the configuration of feather and skin in such a way that differing amounts of air are trapped in the dead space so formed. A second mechanism for control of heat dissipation is the balance of the exposure of feathered and unfeathered body parts.

Feathers act as a protective boundary in their role of providing waterproofing. Water repellency is a structural feature of feathers and is the result of precise geometric relationships between the diameter and spacing of barbs and barbules. Preening appears to be more important in the maintenance of this structure than it is for the application of oils or any other natural product, as was once thought.

A third function of the surface configuration and overall pattern of feathers is in the area of behavioral adaptations. These may be of two types. First is concealment, when the bird is cryptically marked to match its background and escape detection. The second type consists of various types of advertisement. See Protective coloration

Feather

one of the horny epidermal formations of birds. Feathers cover most of a bird’s body, forming its plumage. There are various kinds of feathers: contour feathers, filoplumes, down feathers, powder downs, and bristles.

The contour feathers have the most complex contruction. They consist of a shaft and two vanes. The lower part of the shaft, the calamus, is hollow and has no vanes. The remaining part of the shaft, the rachis, is solid and consists of a light, horny, alveolate tissue. The vanes are comprised of long barbs that are interlocked by barbules. The contour feathers include the flight feathers, which play a major role in the formation of the supporting surfaces of the wings; the rectrices, which form the tail; and the covert feathers, which cover the trunk of the bird and a substantial part of the wings. In most birds the covert feathers do not entirely cover the bird’s body: feathered areas, or pterylae, alternate with bare areas, or apteria.

Filoplumes consist of a long, slender, rachis that is soft and has very few barbs at the distal end. They are usually hidden by the contour feathers, but in some birds, such as cormorants, they emerge to the surface at the neck and back of the head. Down feathers are characterized by a slender shaft and soft barbs that do not interlock. Both down feathers and powder downs protect the body from cold. The powder downs consist of a soft shaft and dissociated barbs. The juvenile feather, from which all types of feathers develop, is similar to a powder down. Bristles consist of shafts that lack barbs. It is conjectured that they, like filoplumes, perform a tactile function.

Because feathers wear out and fade at the tips, they must be periodically replaced, or molted. Feathers are used for filling beds, pillows, and upholstered furniture, as well as for making warm clothing (eiderdown is especially valuable).

N. V. KOKSHAISKII

What does it mean when you dream about a feather?

Feathers carry all of the connotations of birds. Additionally, because they were traditionally used in pillows and down coats, they can represent softness and warmth. Finally, because of the dreaming mind’s tendency to literalize verbal expressions, feathers can symbolize lightness (“light as a feather”) and certain associations (“birds of a feather”).

feather

[′feth·ər] (mechanical engineering) To change the pitch on a propeller in order to reduce drag and prevent windmilling in case of engine failure. (meteorology) barb (vertebrate zoology) An ectodermal derivative which is a specialized keratinous outgrowth of the epidermis of birds; functions in flight and in providing insulation and protection.

feather

1. In joinery, a projection (tongue) on the edge of a board which fits into the groove of another board, as in a tongue and groove. Also called a spline. 2. To produce a featheredge.

spline, false tongue, feather, slip feather, slip tongue

spline, 2

spline, 1 1. A long thin strip of wood or metal which is inserted in a slot formed by two members, each of which is grooved and butted against the other. 2. In a suspended acoustical ceiling, a strip of metal or hard fiber inserted in the slot between adjacent acoustical tiles which butt against each other, forming a concealed mechanical joint.

feather

Position of propeller at various stages of operations.i. The rotation of a helicopter rotor blade about its pitch-change axis.
ii. Turning propeller blades to a feathering angle to minimize drag and prevent further damage that could lead to engine failure.

feather

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. Archerya. 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 3. Nautical the wake created on the surface of the water by the raised periscope of a submarine 4. Rowing the position of an oar turned parallel to the water between strokes 5. a step in ballroom dancing in which a couple maintain the conventional hold but dance side by side

feather

feath·er

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feath•er

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Feather,

Feather

Feather

What does it mean when you dream about a feather?

feather

feather

spline, false tongue, feather, slip feather, slip tongue

feather

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Patient discussion about feather

feather

Synonyms for feather

noun plume

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noun plumage

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phrase a feather in your cap

Synonyms

Synonyms for feather

noun a class that is defined by the common attribute or attributes possessed by all its members

Synonyms

Synonyms for feather

noun the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

Synonyms

Related Words

noun turning an oar parallel to the water between pulls

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verb join tongue and groove, in carpentry

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verb cover or fit with feathers

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verb turn the paddle

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verb turn the oar, while rowing

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verb grow feathers

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