n.
Pronunciation: ' fe- th ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English fether, from Old English; akin to Old High German federa wing, Latin petere to go to, seek, Greek petesthai to fly, piptein to fall, pteron wing
Date: before 12th century
1 a : any of the light horny epidermal outgrowths that form the external covering of the body of birds and that consist of a shaft bearing on each side a series of barbs which bear barbules which in turn bear barbicels commonly ending in hooked hamuli and interlocking with the barbules of an adjacent barb to link the barbs into a continuous vane b archaic : PLUME 2A c : the vane of an arrow
2 a : PLUMAGE b : KIND , NATURE <birds of a feather flock together> c : ATTIRE , DRESS d : CONDITION , MOOD <woke up in fine feather > e plural : COMPOSURE <some feather s had been ruffled ― D. J. Blum>
3 : FEATHERING 2
4 : a projecting strip, rib, fin, or flange
5 : a feathery flaw in the eye or in a precious stone
6 : the act of feathering an oar
– feath · ered \ - th ə rd \ adjective
– feath · er · less adjective
– a feather in one's cap : a mark of distinction : HONOR
feather 1a: A: 1 quill, 2 vane; B: 1 barb, 2 barbule, 3 barbicel with hamulus