white feather
Americannoun
idioms
noun
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a symbol or mark of cowardice
-
to act in a cowardly manner
Etymology
Origin of white feather
First recorded in 1775–85; originally from a white feather in a gamecock's tail, taken as a sign of inferior breeding and hence of poor fighting qualities
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.
In the final scene of “Forrest Gump,” a white feather dances from Forrest’s feet, into the air, representing one of the movie’s major threads: Are life’s joys and agonies predestined, or are they indiscriminate?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025
Sara’s closest friends also created a memory box in Ms Chambers' office, containing photos, messages and the white feather.
From BBC • Dec. 11, 2024
After the Oscars, just two days before his surprise retirement announcement, Roach put Ann Demeulemeester in a tiny white feather top for the Vanity Fair afterparty and worked with several others on Hollywood’s big night.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2023
And “Icarus” frames white feather shapes in tongues of yellow sunlight, implying a wing falling toward the blue water below.
From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2020
Sure enough, I saw Big Ma, although I didn’t see Pa. Our grandmother’s sea-green dress with matching hat and white feather stood out among black, brown, gray, and navy business suits.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
