feather

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feather

typical flight feather () and a magnified view of vanes () (Elizabeth Morales)

n.

1. One of the light, flat growths forming the plumage of birds, consisting of numerous slender, closely arranged parallel barbs forming a vane on either side of a horny, tapering, partly hollow shaft.
2. feathers Plumage.
3. feathers Clothing; attire.
4. A feathery tuft or fringe of hair, as on the legs or tail of some dogs.
5. Character, kind, or nature: Birds of a feather flock together.
6. Something small, trivial, or inconsequential.
7. 1. A strip, wedge, or flange used as a strengthening part.
   2. A wedge or key that fits into a groove to make a joint.
8. The vane of an arrow.
9. A feather-shaped flaw, as in a precious stone.
10. The wake made by a submarine's periscope.
11. The act of feathering the blade of an oar in rowing.

v., -ered, -er·ing, -ers.

v.tr.

1. To cover, dress, or decorate with or as if with feathers.
2. To fit (an arrow) with a feather.
3. 1. To thin, reduce, or fringe the edge of by cutting, shaving, or wearing away.
   2. To shorten and taper (hair) by cutting and thinning.
4. To connect with a tongue-and-groove joint.
5. To turn (an oar blade) almost horizontal as it is carried back after each stroke.
6. 1. To alter the pitch of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are parallel with the line of flight.
   2. To alter the pitch of (the rotor of a helicoptor) while in forward flight.
7. To turn off (an aircraft engine) while in flight.

v.intr.

1. To grow feathers or become feathered.
2. To move, spread, or grow in a manner suggestive of feathers.
3. To feather an oar.
4. To feather a propeller.

idioms:

feather in (one's) cap

1. An act or deed to one's credit; a distinctive achievement.

feather (one's) nest

1. To grow wealthy by taking advantage of one's position or by making use of property or funds left in one's trust.

in fine (or good high) feather

1. In excellent form, health, or humor.

[Middle English fether, from Old English.]

A specialized keratinous outgrowth of the skin, which is a unique characteristic of birds. Feathers are highly complex structures that provide insulation, protection against mechanical damage, and protective coloration, and also function significantly in behavior. One special functional role is in flight, where feathers provide propulsive surfaces and a body surface aerodynamically suitable for flight. Feathers are used in maintenance of balance and occasionally in the capture of prey and various specialized displays.

A representative definitive feather contains a single long central axis which supports a row of small branchlike structures along each side (barbs). Barbs form the vane, or web, of the feather. Individual barbs branch off at variable angles and point toward the outer tip of the feather. The barbules are small branches from the barbs. They lie in the same plane as the barbs and arise in rows from their anterior and posterior surfaces. The anterior barbules have a flattened base and a series of small hooklike projections which attach to the proximal ridge of the posterior barbules of the next barb, forming an interlocking structure characterized by its great strength and light weight. All feather types consist basically of these structural elements.

Most of the superficial feathers are contour feathers (pennae). These include the large flight feathers (remiges) of the wing and the long tail feathers (rectrices). Other common feather types include the down feathers (plumulae), intermediate types (semiplumes), and filoplumes.

Feathers normally undergo attrition because of the physical abuse attendant to the normal activity of birds. In most species, feathers are replaced completely at least annually, and many of the feathers are replaced more frequently. The sequence of feather molt is surprisingly orderly. Penguins, which shed large patches of feathers in an irregular pattern, are an exception. In most species the power of flight is retained during molt. The molt, that is, the normal shedding of feathers and their replacement by a new generation of feathers, is a single growth process which is actively concerned only with the production of the new generation of feathers. The old feathers are pushed out of the follicles passively.

A major physiological role of feathers is to provide insulation. This is accomplished by regulating the configuration of feather and skin in such a way that differing amounts of air are trapped in the dead space so formed. A second mechanism for control of heat dissipation is the balance of the exposure of feathered and unfeathered body parts.

Feathers act as a protective boundary in their role of providing waterproofing. Water repellency is a structural feature of feathers and is the result of precise geometric relationships between the diameter and spacing of barbs and barbules. Preening appears to be more important in the maintenance of this structure than it is for the application of oils or any other natural product, as was once thought.

A third function of the surface configuration and overall pattern of feathers is in the area of behavioral adaptations. These may be of two types. First is concealment, when the bird is cryptically marked to match its background and escape detection. The second type consists of various types of advertisement. See also Protective coloration.

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noun

A class that is defined by the common attribute or attributes possessed by all its members: breed, cast, description, ilk, kind², lot, manner, mold, nature, order, sort, species, stamp, stripe, type, variety. Informal persuasion. See group.

Idioms beginning with feather:
feather in one's cap, a
feather one's nest

See also birds of a feather; fuss and feathers; in fine feather; knock down with a feather; light as a feather; make the dust (feathers) fly; ruffle someone's feathers; show the white feather; tar and feather.

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1. skin appendages of all birds. Comprise a central shaft with a flat vane on either side. The shaft consists of the calamus, embedded in the feather follicle, and the rachis which is outside the follicle. The calamus has an opening at each end, the superior and inferior umbilicus. The inferior umbilicus contains the dermal papilla which produces the pulp which continues up the interior of the calamus to end at and pass out through the superior umbilicus. Each feather has two parts, the mainfeather and a small afterfeather which is attached at the superior umbilicus. Barbs and barbules form the bulk of the vane.
Contour feathers are large feathers that give the bird its shape. Down feathers are very small feathers. Semiplume feathers are intermediate in size between contour and down. Filoplume feathers are hairlike and remain after other feathers are plucked. They have only one small tuft of barbs. Specialized additional feathers include auricular feathers, around the ear lobes, oil gland feathers, at the oil gland on the tail, bristle feathers on the eyelids and powder feathers in aquatic birds. Remiges are the large flight feathers of the wing and rectrices the very long contour feathers coming from the side of the tail. These are the longest feathers of all in the domestic fowl.
The feather coat consists of feather tracts (see below) or pterylae that are well defined and carry contour feathers and semiplumes. They are separated by unfeathered tracts called apteria. The distribution of special feathers of particular colors in particular pterylae is what gives the breeds their distinctive appearance. The feather coat is divided up into regions that include hackle, cape, cushion, saddle, wing bars, wing fronts and wing bows.
2. long hairs on the fetlocks of draft breeds of horses and in dogs, on the ventral body, caudal aspect of the legs, and ventral tail of spaniels and setters.
3. hair-streams that produce feather-like marks, in the haircoat of an animal.

• f. clipping — clipping the flight feathers with tin shears will prevent flight for several months.
• f. coat — the total feather covering of a bird. Called also ptilosis.
• contour f. — the externally visible feathers which determine the bird's silhouette and the contours of the wings, body and tail.
• f. cushion — the plumage from the pelvic tract of the hen, forming the back cover.
• f. cysts — contain unerupted feathers and keratinous debris that may form large cutaneous lumps.
• f. disease — an idiopathic disease of all varieties of cockatoos, lovebirds and budgerigars as young birds and characterized by a chronic, progressive, symmetrical loss of feathers, elongation of toenails and upper beak, which later becomes necrotic and sloughs off. Called also psittacine beak and feather syndrome.
• filoplume f. — hairlike feathers, commonest on neck, head.
• flight f. — the strong feathers on the wings and tail of birds used in flight. Called also remiges (plural), remex (singular).
• f. follicle — a small tubular invagination of the skin with a fleshy dermal papilla at the bottom from which the feather grows. The papilla is inserted in the opening at the end of the quill.
• f. mites — mites that live on and in feathers, often in enormous numbers but have little pathogenicity. Include the genera of Analges and Megninia of the family Analgesidae and the genus Dermoglyphus of the family Dermoglyphidae. Other miscellaneous genera are Syringophilus, Falculifer, Freyana, Pterolichus, Pteronyssus.
• f. muscles — similar to erector pili muscles of mammals; attached to the sides of the follicle; capable of elevating or lowering entire groups of feathers.
• f. picking — a vice thought to be due to insecurity and manifested by the bird pecking off its own feathers. If blood is drawn cannibalism may develop.
• primary f. — flight feathers on the wings of birds.
• psittacine beak and f. disease — see psittacine beak and feather disease.
• f. pulling — see feather picking (above).
• f. pulp — remnants of vascular tissue contained in the core of each feather.
• saddle f. — the plumage covering the back of male birds.
• f. syndrome — see psittacine beak and feather disease.
• f. tract — area of the skin of a bird in which feathers grow. They are well defined and separated by unfeathered areas called apteria.

IN BRIEF: Any of the parts that grow out of the skin of birds.

The feathers of a peacock spread in a colorful display.

Feathers carry all of the connotations of birds. Additionally, because they were traditionally used in pillows and down coats, they can represent softness and warmth. Finally, because of the dreaming mind's tendency to literalize verbal expressions, feathers can symbolize lightness ("light as a feather") and certain associations ("birds of a feather").

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - fjer, fuglevildt, fjeder, ribbe
v. tr. - udstyre med fjer, skive (årerne på en båd), kantstille
v. intr. - få fjer, løbe ud, sløre, fjedre

idioms:

• feather boa    fjerboa
• feather in one's cap    en fjer i hatten
• feather one's nest    hyppe sine egne kartofler

Nederlands (Dutch)
veer, pluim, baard van een pijl, veren, kleding, stemming, uitstekende flank/baan, pluimvee, veervormige vertekening (in diamant/oog), van veren voorzien, als een veertje bewegen, roeispaan het water laten strijken, spanen van propeller bijstellen, tot scherpe kant maken, snijden (lucht) als met een vleugel, in elkaar schuiven, veren maken/ groeien, uitsmeren, van veren ontdoen zonder te doden

Français (French)
n. - plume
v. tr. - empenner, (Aviat) mettre (qch) en drapeau, ramener (l'aviron) à plat
v. intr. - nager plat, s'emplumer (un oisillon)

idioms:

• feather boa    boa de plumes
• feather in one's cap    être un bon point pour (qn)
• feather one's nest    faire son beurre

Deutsch (German)
n. - Feder, Gefieder
v. - mit Federn ausstatten

idioms:

• feather boa    Boa
• feather in one's cap    ein Grund sich zu rühmen
• feather one's nest    seine Taschen füllen, den eigenen Vorteil in den Vordergrund stellen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - φτερό, πούπουλο
v. - πλουμίζω ή γεμίζω με φτερά

idioms:

• feather boa    μποά
• feather in one's cap    (καθομ.) καμάρι, καύχημα, τίτλος τιμής
• feather one's nest    κάνω τη μπάζα μου

Italiano (Italian)
penna

idioms:

• feather in cap    motivo di orgoglio
• feather one's nest    riempirsi le tasche

Português (Portuguese)
n. - pena (f) (de ave)
v. - emplumar

idioms:

• feather in one's cap    motivo (m) de orgulho
• feather one's nest    enriquecer-se desonestamente

Русский (Russian)
перо, оперение, плюмаж

idioms:

• feather in one's cap    то, чем можно гордиться
• feather one's nest    набить карман

Español (Spanish)
n. - pluma, caracter, tipo, parecido a una pluma, algo muy liviano, cuña, plumaje
v. tr. - emplumar (una flecha), adornar con plumas, volver la pala del remo al sacarla del agua, poniéndola casi horizontal, colocar las aspas de una hélice en dirección de la marcha, apagar el motor durante un vuelo
v. intr. - cubrirse de plumas, ondular, moverse como una pluma

idioms:

• feather boa    boa de plumas
• feather in one's cap    apuntarse un tanto, triunfo
• feather one's nest    hacer su agosto, ponerse las botas

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - fjädervilt, not (tekn.), fjäder
v. - befjädra, skadeskjuta (jakt), skeva med (rodd), flöjla (tekn.), sväva, växa fjäderlikt

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
羽毛, 用羽毛装饰, 长羽毛

idioms:

• feather boa    羽毛围巾, 羽毛披肩
• feather in one's cap    卓越的成就
• feather one's nest    营私

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 羽毛
v. tr. - 用羽毛裝飾
v. intr. - 長羽毛

idioms:

• feather boa    羽毛圍巾, 羽毛披肩
• feather in one's cap    卓越的成就
• feather one's nest    營私

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 깃털, 깃털 같은 것, 깃털처럼 가벼운
v. tr. - ~을 깃털로 덮다, 깃을 달다
v. intr. - 깃털이 나다, 깃 모양이 나다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 羽, 羽毛, 羽飾り, 鳥類
v. - 羽飾りを付ける, 矢羽を付ける, 水平に返す, 羽を付ける

idioms:

• birds of a feather    同じ羽毛の鳥, 似たような連中
• feather boa    羽毛製の襟巻
• feather in one's cap    誇りとなるもの
• feather one's nest    私腹を肥やす

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ريش الطائر , ريشه , ريشه السهم (فعل) يريش السهم , يكسو أو يزين بالريش‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮נוצה‬
v. tr. - ‮כיסה בנוצות, החליק משוט (על המים)‬
v. intr. - ‮נע כנוצה, סובב מדחף של מטוס באופן שיגרום לפחות התנגדות מצד האוויר‬

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