: any of the light, horny, epidermal outgrowths that form the external covering of the body of birds
Note:
Feathers include the smaller down feathers and the larger contour and flight feathers. Larger feathers consist of a shaft (rachis) bearing branches (barbs) which bear smaller branches (barbules). These smaller branches bear tiny hook-bearing processes (barbicels) which interlock with the barbules of an adjacent barb to link the barbs into a continuous stiff vane. Down feathers lack barbules, resulting in fluffy feathers which provide insulation below the contour feathers.
Noun
they are a very sports-minded couple, and most of their friends are of the same feather
prom couples strutted into the ballroom in full feather
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Noun
His black hat sported a colorful feather.—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 With this repurposed, recycled down and feathers from post-use bedding and outerwear, the EverPuff provides the same lofty warmth as virgin down—at 700 fill power—while giving existing materials a second life and reducing environmental impact.—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
When O’Reilly found open ice in front of Greaves, Nashville’s Filip Forsberg feathered the puck through traffic to give him a clean look.—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 While curtain bangs are often carefully trimmed, tapered, and feathered out—and can take a lot of daily fuss to create that sleek, swooping look—torn bangs are low maintenance by design.—Veronica Cristino, Glamour, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for feather
Word History
Etymology
Noun
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
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
: one 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 the hooked processes and interlocking with the barbules of an adjacent barb to link the barbs into a continuous vane
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