feathered

adjective

feath·​ered ˈfe-t͟hərd How to pronounce feathered (audio)
1
: having feathers
… misidentified as … a flying reptile, not a feathered dinosaur …Luis M. Chiappe
referring to birds as "our feathered friends"
2
: covered or decorated with feathers
He was a big man, and in his costume— … feathered anklets, feathered gauntlets, beaded headband … —he seemed magnified in every dimension, almost a spirit-being.Ian Frazier
From this region come the magnificent beadwork art, the buckskin garments, the great feathered war bonnet, and the concept of long fringed shirts.Frederick J. Dockstader

Examples of feathered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Cuts ran parallel to the jaw, straight and through to the back of the neck and into the feathered skin, according to reports from a bird rescue group. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024 Well, that is, until the feathered creatures opened their beaks to reveal rows of teeth. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 But even the more muted hues managed to shine: Just take Taylor Russell in her custom white Loewe dress, which featured hip cutouts and a feathered trim at the waist and hemline. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 18 Feb. 2024 Her gown featured a feathered detail at the waist and at the hemline and cutouts on the sides to show off her curves. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 Untouched, feathered, free: Our foremothers were traumatized from over-tweezing of the ‘90s, and in return encouraged us all to let our brows just be. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2024 The Insecure actor arrived at the event looking like a literal bird of paradise in a feathered and crystal-embellished champagne Pamela Roland gown. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 16 Jan. 2024 In the clip, Munn initially appears to be showing off her outfit, a strapless, sparkly mini dress with a fluffy, feathered neckline and matching silver pumps. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 10 Jan. 2024 His followers — bedecked in feathered headdresses, homemade shark-fin hats and grass skirts — arrived early for concerts and tailgated with frozen margaritas and jerk chicken in the parking lots of concert venues. Glenn Rifkin, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feathered.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of feathered was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near feathered

Cite this Entry

“Feathered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feathered. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on feathered

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!