Illustration of feather
- A-1 quill
- A-2 vane; B-1 barb
- B-2 barbule
- B-3 barbicel with hamulus
1
a
: 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.
b
archaic
: plume sense 2a
c
: the vane of an arrow
2
4
: a projecting strip, rib, fin, or flange
5
: a feathery flaw in the eye or in a precious stone
6
: the act of feathering an oar
featherless
adjective
see also:
feathered; feathering
ˈfet͟h-riŋ 
ˈfe-t͟hə-
1
a
: to furnish (something, such as an arrow) with a feather
b
: to cover, clothe, or adorn with or as if with feathers
2
a
: to turn (an oar blade) almost horizontal when lifting from the water at the end of a stroke to reduce air resistance
b(1)
: to change the angle of (airplane propeller blades) so that the chords become approximately parallel to the line of flight
also
: to change the angle of airplane propeller blades of (an engine) in such a manner
(2)
: to change the angle of (a rotor blade of a rotorcraft) periodically in forward flight
3
: to reduce the edge of to a featheredge
4
a
of a bird
: to cut (the air) with a wing
b
of a fish
: to cut (the water) with a fin
5
: to join by a tongue and groove
6
: to hit, throw, pass, or shoot softly and usually with precision
feathered a perfect lob over the net
1
: to grow or form feathers
2
: to have or take on the appearance of a feather or something feathered
3
: to soak in and spread : blur
—used of ink or a printed impression
4
: to feather an oar or an airplane propeller blade
see also:
Examples of feather in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
On Tuesday, Laura Dern and actress Marissa Long were spotted on the famous Palais steps, with Dern turning heads in a long strapless black gown with pink feathers.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 May 2026
Mykenna Maniece, Vogue, 29 May 2026
On the power play, Marner crashed into the slot to get a loose puck, and feathered it through a defender onto the tape of Stone’s stick for an easy tap-in goal.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for feather
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Noun
Do not use soaps with synthetic ingredients, such as common dish soap, to clean your bird bath, as the chemicals can strip the oils off the bird's feathers.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
On Tuesday, Laura Dern and actress Marissa Long were spotted on the famous Palais steps, with Dern turning heads in a long strapless black gown with pink feathers.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 May 2026
Verb
This new haircut keeps the main length while cutting in thick bangs that hit equidistance from her brows and hairline, feathered lightly to take away any density or heaviness.
—Mykenna Maniece, Vogue, 29 May 2026
On the power play, Marner crashed into the slot to get a loose puck, and feathered it through a defender onto the tape of Stone’s stick for an easy tap-in goal.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for feather
Cite this Entry
“Feather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feather. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
feather
1 of 2 noun
feath·er
ˈfet͟h-ər
1
: one of the light horny growths that make up the outer covering of the body of a bird
2
a
: kind entry 1 sense 1, nature
birds of a feather
b
: clothing sense 1, dress
in full feather
c
: condition entry 1 sense 5b, mood
in fine feather
feather
2 of 2 verb
feathered; feathering
ˈfet͟h-(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to provide (as an arrow) with a feather
b
: to cover, clothe, or adorn with feathers
2
a
: to turn (an oar blade) parallel to the water when lifting from the water at the end of a stroke
b
: to change the angle of (airplane propeller blades) to reduce air resistance
also
: to change the angle of airplane propeller blades of (an engine) in such a manner
3
: to grow feathers
4
: to move, spread, or grow like feathers
Medical Definition
feather
noun
feath·er
ˈfet͟h-ər
: 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
Geographical Definition
Feather
geographical name
Feath·er
ˈfe-t͟hər
river 100 miles (161 kilometers) long in north central California flowing south into the Sacramento River
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