[white feather] n [fr. the superstition that a white feather in the plumage of a gamecock is a mark of a poor fighter] (ca. 1785): a mark or symbol of cowardice--used chiefly in the phrase show the white feather
WHITE FEATHER
Meaning of WHITE FEATHER in English
Merriam-Webster English vocab. Английский словарь Merriam Webster. 2012