Feather, feth' -er, s

one of the plumes which form the covering of a bird; species; an ornament; an empty title: v.a. to dre in feathers; to cover with feathers or such like; to adorn A feather in the cap, an honour achieved. To be in full. feather, to be up to the mark. To be in high feather, to appear in high spirits or elated. To show the white feather, to give indications of cowardice, as a white feather in the tail of a cock was supposed to imply. Feathers, any narrow slips of timber to strengthen partitioning, framework, . [Carp.] To feather one's nest,to collect wealth, particularly from emoluments derived from agencies. To feather the oar, to turn the edge of an oar horizontally when raising it from the water. (A.S. fether, Ger.Feder.)