featherweight

[feth-er-weyt]

noun

1. a boxer or other contestant intermediate in weight between a bantamweight and a lightweight, especially a professional boxer weighing up to 126 pounds (57 kilograms).

2. an insignificant person or thing.

   He thinks he's a major composer, but he's just a featherweight.

adjective

1. belonging to the class of featherweights, especially in boxing.

2. extremely light in weight.

   a featherweight quilt.

3. unimportant; trifling; slight.

featherweight

/ ˈfɛðəˌweɪt /

noun

1. 1. something very light or of little importance

   2. ( as modifier )

      featherweight considerations

2. 1. a professional boxer weighing 118–126 pounds (53.5–57 kg)

   2. an amateur boxer weighing 54–57 kg (119–126 pounds)

   3. ( as modifier )

      the featherweight challenger

3. a wrestler in a similar weight category (usually 126–139 pounds (57–63 kg))

Word History and Origins

Origin of featherweight¹

First recorded in 1805–15; feather + weight

Example Sentences

The card is headlined by a featherweight contest between Brazilian pair Diego Lopes and Jean Silva.

From BBC

Manchester's Murphy came into the bout with Pico sixth in the UFC's featherweight rankings after winning eight successive fights in the promotion.

From BBC

Will older voters have a soft spot for this featherweight Gen X friends drama, or were they just watching to take notes on places to visit in upstate New York?

From Los Angeles Times

The intricately embroidered featherweight scarves are a favourite with his customers in Mussoorie, a hill town in the northern state of Uttarakhand, where he works.

From BBC

Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria vacated his belt in February to move up to lightweight.

From BBC

Related Words

• agile 
• airy 
• buoyant 
• delicate 
• fluffy 
• lightweight 
• loose 
• slender 
• slight 
• small 
• thin