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Showing results for "feathering"

feathering

American  
[feth-er-ing] / ˈfɛð ər ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a covering of feathers; plumage.

  2. the arrangement of feathers on an arrow.

  3. Music. a very light and delicate use of the violin bow.


feathering British  
/ ˈfɛðərɪŋ /

noun

  1. the plumage of a bird; feathers

  2. another word for feathers

  3. printing

    1. an imperfection in print caused by the spreading of ink

    2. the use of additional space between lines in typesetting in order to fill the page

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of feathering

First recorded in 1520–30; feather + -ing 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He’s too busy feathering his own nest while laughing off any pretense of ethical behavior.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026

Traditionally, skiers negotiate the steepest terrain of a course by feathering their skis at a slight diagonal and elongating their stride to help them conserve energy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

The Australian skipper removed him for a 13th time in Tests, more than any other bowler, with a furious Root berating himself after prodding at a full delivery and feathering to Carey.

From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025

The pilots had likely put the condition levers, which control power, in the feathering position instead of selecting the flap lever, he explained.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2023

These furrows, he saw out of the corner of his eye, were caused by a difference in the feathering.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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