I. fea ‧ ture 1 S2 W1 AC /ˈfiːtʃə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: feture 'shape, form' , from Latin facere 'to do, make' ]
1 . a part of something that you notice because it seems important, interesting, or typical:
Air bags are a standard feature in most new cars.
feature of
An important feature of Van Gogh’s paintings is their bright colours.
Striped tails are a common feature of many animals.
The hotel’s only redeeming features (=things that make it acceptable) were that it was cheap and near the city centre.
main/important/significant etc feature
The most distinctive feature of the dinosaurs was their size.
One of the distinguishing features (=features that are different from other things of the same sort) of modern banking is its dependence on computers.
2 . a piece of writing about a subject in a newspaper or a magazine, or a special report on television or on the radio
feature on
a feature on holidaying with your dog
3 . [usually plural] a part of someone’s face, such as their eyes, nose etc:
He had fine delicate features.
Her eyes were her best feature.
4 . a part of the land, especially a part that you can see:
Hedges are an important feature of the landscape in Britain.
5 . a film being shown at a cinema:
There were a couple of short cartoons before the main feature.
double feature (=when two films are shown together)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + feature
▪ a common feature
Pine trees are a common feature of the Swedish landscape.
▪ a striking feature (=an unusual or interesting feature)
Her long blonde hair is her most striking feature.
▪ a distinguishing feature (=one that makes something different from others of the same type)
A long beak is one of the bird’s distinguishing features.
▪ a unique feature (=a feature which only one thing has)
A unique feature of this guitar is its shape.
▪ an unusual feature
The church’s most unusual feature is this window.
▪ a standard feature (=a normal or usual feature)
Airbags are now a standard feature on most cars.
▪ a regular feature (=one that happens often or a lot)
Delays and cancellations are a regular feature of air travel.
▪ a recurring feature (=one that happens again and again)
Humour is a recurring feature of her novels.
▪ an important feature
The final-year project is an important feature of all undergraduate courses.
▪ a significant feature (=one that has an important effect)
Bad weather was a significant feature in the accident.
▪ a central feature (=an important feature)
Cultural diversity is a central feature of modern British society.
▪ a key feature (=a very important or necessary feature)
Private ownership is a key feature of capitalism.
▪ the main feature
The main feature of the square is the Gothic cathedral.
▪ an attractive feature
The house had many attractive features, notably the large garden.
▪ a design feature (=a detail of the way something has been designed)
The building incorporates many interesting design features.
▪ a safety feature
The car has more safety features than its rivals in the same price range.
▪ a redeeming feature (=one that makes something acceptable)
The hotel’s only redeeming feature was its view of the bay
II. feature 2 W3 AC BrE AmE verb
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to include or show something as a special or important part of something, or to be included as an important part:
The exhibition features paintings by Picasso.
a cruise ship featuring extensive spa facilities
feature in
A study of language should feature in an English literature course.
be featured in something
Pupils visited some of the websites featured in the article.
feature prominently/strongly/heavily etc
Violence seems to feature heavily in all of his books.
feature somebody as something
The film featured Brando as the Godfather.
2 . [transitive] to show a film, play etc:
The Retro Theatre is featuring films by Frank Capra this week.