flight feather

American  

noun

Ornithology.

1. one of the large, stiff feathers of the wing and tail of a bird that are essential to flight.

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flight feather British  

noun

1. any of the large stiff feathers that cover the wings and tail of a bird and are adapted for flying

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Etymology

Origin of flight feather

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

Once they grew flight feathers, she started going up in a microlight, first for a one minute flight, then for twice that time the next day.

From Reuters

The ordeal had left Chi Chi a little beat up — scratched and missing one of her flight feathers — but she survived.

From Washington Post

As Science News reports, the experiments showed that the angles of two wing joints have the biggest impact on the alignment of a wing's flight feathers.

From Fox News

Bald eagle chicks have a more than 50 percent mortality rate during their first year of life due to their flight feathers and their difficulty in retaining body heat.

From Fox News

It lacked the long, strong flight feathers characteristic of birds.

From Reuters