Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FEATH'ER, or FETH'ER, n. [Sax. fether; G. feder; D. veder; Dan. fiær; Sw. fieder; allied probably to πτερον, and πεταλον, from πεταω, to open or expand.]

1. A plume; a general name of the covering of fowls. The smaller feathers are used for the filling of beds; the larger ones, called quills, are used for ornaments of the head, for writing pens, &c. The feather consists of a shaft or stem, corneous, round, strong and hollow at the lower part, and at the upper part, filled with pith. On each side of the shaft are the vanes, broad on one side and narrow on the other, consisting of thin lamins. The feathers which cover the body are called the plumage; the feathers of the wings are adapted to flight.
2. Kind; nature; species; from the proverbial phrase, “Birds of a feather,” that is, of the same species. [Unusual.] I am not of that feather to shake off / My friend, when he most needs me. Shak.
3. An ornament; an empty title.
4. On a horse, a sort of natural frizzling of the hair, which, in some places, rises above the lying hair, and there makes a figure resembling the tip of an ear of wheat. Far. Dict. A feather in the cap, is an honor, or mark of distinction. [Fether is the better spelling.]

FEATH'ER, or FETH'ER, v.t.

1. To dress in feathers; to fit with feathers, or to cover with feathers.
2. To tread as a cock. Dryden.
3. To enrich; to adorn; to exalt. The king cared not to plume his nobility and people, to feather himself. Bacon. To feather one's nest, to collect wealth, particularly from emoluments derived from agencies for others; a proverb taken from birds which collect feathers for their nests.

FEATH'ER-BED, or FETH'ER-BED, n.

A bed filled with feathers; a soft bed.

FEATH'ER-DRIV-ER, or FETH'ER-DRIV-ER, n.

One who beats feathers to make them light or loose. Derham.

FEATH'ER-ED, or FETH'ER-ED, pp.

1. Covered with feathers; enriched.
2. adj. Clothed or covered with feathers. A fowl or bird is a feathered animal. Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury. Shak.
3. Fitted or furnished with feathers; as, a feathered arrow.
4. Smoothed, like down or feathers. Scott.
5. Covered with things growing from the substance; as, land feathered with trees. Coxe.

FEATH'ER-EDGE, or FETH'ER-EDGE, n.

An edge like a feather. A board that has one edge thinner than the other, is called feather-edge stuff. Moxon.

FEATH'ER-EDG-ED, or FETH'ER-EDG-ED, a.

Having a thin edge.

FEATH'ER-FEW, n. [A corruption of Fever-few.]

FEATH'ER-GRASS, or FETH'ER-GRASS, n.

A plant. Johnson.

FEATH'ER-ING, or FETH'ER-ING, ppr.

Covering with feathers.

FEATH'ER-LESS, or FETH'ER-LESS, a.

Destitute of feathers; unfledged. Howel.

FEATH'ER-LY, or FETH'ER-LY, a.

Resembling feathers. [Not used.] Brown.

FEATH'ER-SEL-LER,

or FETH'ER-SEL-LER, n. One who sells feathers for beds.

FEATH'ER-Y, or FETH'ER-Y, a.

1. Clothed or covered with feathers. Milton.
2. Resembling feathers.

FEAT-LY, adv. [from feat.]

Neatly; dextrously; adroitly. [Little used.] Shak. Dryden.

FEAT-NESS, n. [from feat.]

Dexterity; adroitness; skillfulness. [Little used.]

FEAT-URE, n. [Norm. faiture; L. factura, a making, from facio, to make; It. fattura.]

1. The make, form or cast of any part of the face; any single lineament. We speak of large features or small features. We see a resemblance in the features of a parent and of a child.
2. The make or cast of the face. Report the feature of Octavia, her years. Shak.
3. The fashion; the make; the whole turn or cast of the body.
4. The make or form of any part of the surface of a thing, as of a country or landscape.
5. Lineament; outline; prominent parts; as, the features of a treaty.

FEAT-UR-ED, a.

Having features or good features; resembling in features. Shak

FEA'TURE-LESS, a.

Having no distinct features.

FEAZE, v.t.

To untwist the end of a rope. Ainsworth.

FEAZ-ED, pp.

Untwisted.

FEAZ-ING, ppr.

Untwisting.

FE-BRIC'U-LA, n.

A slight fever.

FE-BRIC'U-LOSE, a.

Affected with slight fever.

FE-BRIC'U-LOS-I-TY, n.

Feverishness.