Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Feather \Feath"er\, n. [OE. fether, AS. fe?der; akin to D.
   veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder, Icel. fj["o]?r, Sw. fj["a]der,
   Dan. fj[ae]der, Gr. ? wing, feather, ? to fly, Skr. pattra
   wing, feathr, pat to fly, and prob. to L. penna feather,
   wing. [root]76, 248. Cf. {Pen} a feather.]
   1. One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds,
      belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down.

   Note: An ordinary feather consists of the quill or hollow
         basal part of the stem; the shaft or rachis, forming
         the upper, solid part of the stem; the vanes or webs,
         implanted on the rachis and consisting of a series of
         slender lamin[ae] or barbs, which usually bear
         barbicels and interlocking hooks by which they are
         fastened together. See {Down}, {Quill}, {Plumage}.

   2. Kind; nature; species; -- from the proverbial phrase,
      ``Birds of a feather,'' that is, of the same species. [R.]

            I am not of that feather to shake off My friend when
            he must need me.                      --Shak.

   3. The fringe of long hair on the legs of the setter and some
      other dogs.

   4. A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on a horse.

   5. One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow.

   6. (Mach. & Carp.) A longitudinal strip projecting as a fin
      from an object, to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in
      another object and thereby prevent displacement sidwise
      but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.

   7. A thin wedge driven between the two semicylindrical parts
      of a divided plug in a hole bored in a stone, to rend the
      stone. --Knight.

   8. The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float,
      with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or
      enters the water.

   Note: Feather is used adjectively or in combination, meaning
         composed of, or resembling, a feather or feathers; as,
         feather fan, feather-heeled, feather duster.

   {Feather alum} (Min.), a hydrous sulphate of alumina,
      resulting from volcanic action, and from the decomposition
      of iron pyrites; -- called also {halotrichite}. --Ure.

   {Feather bed}, a bed filled with feathers.

   {Feather driver}, one who prepares feathers by beating.

   {Feather duster}, a dusting brush of feathers.

   {Feather flower}, an artifical flower made of feathers, for
      ladies' headdresses, and other ornamental purposes.

   {Feather grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Stipa pennata})
      which has a long feathery awn rising from one of the
      chaffy scales which inclose the grain.

   {Feather maker}, one who makes plumes, etc., of feathers,
      real or artificial.

   {Feather ore} (Min.), a sulphide of antimony and lead,
      sometimes found in capillary forms and like a cobweb, but
      also massive. It is a variety of Jamesonite.

   {Feather shot}, or {Feathered shot} (Metal.), copper
      granulated by pouring into cold water. --Raymond.

   {Feather spray} (Naut.), the spray thrown up, like pairs of
      feathers, by the cutwater of a fast-moving vessel.

   {Feather star}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Comatula}.

   {Feather weight}. (Racing)
      (a) Scrupulously exact weight, so that a feather would
          turn the scale, when a jockey is weighed or weighted.
      (b) The lightest weight that can be put on the back of a
          horse in racing. --Youatt.
      (c) In wrestling, boxing, etc., a term applied to the
          lightest of the classes into which contestants are
          divided; -- in contradistinction to {light weight},
          {middle weight}, and {heavy weight}.

   {A feather in the cap} an honour, trophy, or mark of
      distinction. [Colloq.]

   {To be in full feather}, to be in full dress or in one's best
      clothes. [Collog.]

   {To be in high feather}, to be in high spirits. [Collog.]

   {To cut a feather}.
      (a) (Naut.) To make the water foam in moving; in allusion
          to the ripple which a ship throws off from her bows.
      (b) To make one's self conspicuous. [Colloq.]

   {To show the white feather}, to betray cowardice, -- a white
      feather in the tail of a cock being considered an
      indication that he is not of the true game breed.

Feather \Feath"er\, v. i.
   1. To grow or form feathers; to become feathered; -- often
      with out; as, the birds are feathering out.

   2. To curdle when poured into another liquid, and float about
      in little flakes or ``feathers;'' as, the cream feathers
      [Colloq.]

   3. To turn to a horizontal plane; -- said of oars.

            The feathering oar returns the gleam. --Tickell.

            Stopping his sculls in the air to feather
            accurately.                           --Macmillan's
                                                  Mag.

   4. To have the appearance of a feather or of feathers; to be
      or to appear in feathery form.

            A clump of ancient cedars feathering in evergreen
            beauty down to the ground.            --Warren.

            The ripple feathering from her bows.  --Tennyson.

Feather \Feath"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Feathered}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Feathering.}]
   1. To furnish with a feather or feathers, as an arrow or a
      cap.

            An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow
            feathered from her own wing.          --L'Estrange.

   2. To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe.

            A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow
            ravines.                              --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.

   3. To render light as a feather; to give wings to.[R.]

            The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedions
            hours.                                --Loveday.

   4. To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.

            They stuck not to say that the king cared not to
            plume his nobility and people to feather himself.
                                                  --Bacon.
      --Dryden.

   5. To tread, as a cock. --Dryden.

   {To feather one's nest}, to provide for one's self especially
      from property belonging to another, confided to one's
      care; -- an expression taken from the practice of birds
      which collect feathers for the lining of their nests.

   {To feather an oar} (Naut), to turn it when it leaves the
      water so that the blade will be horizontal and offer the
      least resistance to air while reaching for another stroke.
      

   {To tar and feather a person}, to smear him with tar and
      cover him with feathers, as a punishment or an indignity.

Source : WordNet®

feather
     n 1: the light horny waterproof structure forming the external
          covering of birds [syn: {plume}, {plumage}]
     2: turning an oar parallel to the water between pulls [syn: {feathering}]

feather
     v 1: join tongue and groove, in carpentry
     2: cover or fit with feathers
     3: turn the paddle; in canoeing [syn: {square}]
     4: turn the oar, while rowing [syn: {square}]
     5: grow feathers; "The young sparrows are fledging already"
        [syn: {fledge}]