WHITE FEATHER


Meaning of WHITE FEATHER in English

Chiefly Brit.

1. a symbol of cowardice.

2. show the white feather , to behave in a cowardly manner.

[ 1775-85; orig. from a white feather in a gamecock's tail, taken as a sign of inferior breeding and hence of poor fighting qualities ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .