Webster's English Dictionary

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feather

1. feath.er \'feth-*r\ \-*rd\ n [ME fether, fr. OE; akin to OHG federa 
   wing, L petere to go t]o, seek, Gk petesthai to fly, piptein to fall, 
   pteron wing 1a: one of the light horny epidermal outgrowths that form the 
   external cove ring 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 hooked hamuli and interlocking with the 
   barbules of an adjacent barb to link the barbs into a continuous vane 1b: 
   PLUME  1c: the vane of an arrow  2a: PLUMAGE  2b: KIND, NATURE  2c: ATTIRE, 
   DRESS  2d: CONDITION, MOOD  3: a feathery tuft or fringe of hair (as on the 
   leg of a dog)  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  : 
   a mark of distinction : HONOR  - feath.ered aj
2. feather \-(*-)rin\ vb or feath.er.ing 1a: to furnish (as an arrow) with 
   a feather  1b: to cover, clothe, or adorn with feathers  2a: to turn (an 
   oar blade) almost horizontal when lifting from the water a t the end of a 
   stroke to reduce air resistance 2b1: 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 2b2: to change the angle of (a rotor blade of 
   a rotary-wing aircraft) peri odically in forward flight 3: to reduce the 
   edge of to a featheredge  4: to cut (as air) with or as if with a wing  5: 
   to join by a tongue and groove  1: to grow or form feathers  2: to move, 
   spread, or grow like feathers  3: to feather an oar or an airplane 
   propeller blade  : to provide for oneself esp. reprehensibly while in a 
   position of trust  - feather one's nest