aftershaft

[ af-ter-shaft, ahf-ter-shahft ]

noun

, Ornithology.

1. a supplementary feather, usually small, arising from the underside of the base of the shafts of certain feathers in many birds.
2. the shaft of such a feather.

aftershaft

/ ˈɑːftəˌʃɑːft /

noun

1. ornithol a secondary feather arising near the base of a contour feather

Other Words From

• after·shafted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aftershaft¹

First recorded in 1865–70; after + shaft

Example Sentences

Only in the cassowary and emu among adult birds is the aftershaft as large as the main shaft.

From Project Gutenberg