feather duster

Feather \Feath"er\ (f[e^][th]"[~e]r), n. [OE. fether, AS.
   fe[eth]er; akin to D. veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder, Icel.
   fj["o][eth]r, Sw. fj[aum]der, Dan. fj[ae]der, Gr. ptero`n
   wing, feather, pe`tesqai to fly, Skr. pattra wing, feather,
   pat to fly, and prob. to L. penna feather, wing. [root]76,
   248. Cf. {Pen} a feather.]
   1. One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds,
      belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down.
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   Note: An ordinary feather consists of the quill or hollow
         basal part of the stem; the shaft or rachis, forming
         the upper, solid part of the stem; the vanes or webs,
         implanted on the rachis and consisting of a series of
         slender lamin[ae] or barbs, which usually bear
         barbules, which in turn usually bear barbicels and
         interlocking hooks by which they are fastened together.
         See {Down}, {Quill}, {Plumage}.

   2. Kind; nature; species; -- from the proverbial phrase,
      "Birds of a feather," that is, of the same species. [R.]
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            I am not of that feather to shake off
            My friend when he must need me.       --Shak.
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   3. The fringe of long hair on the legs of the setter and some
      other dogs.
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   4. A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on a horse.
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   5. One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow.
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   6. (Mach. & Carp.) A longitudinal strip projecting as a fin
      from an object, to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in
      another object and thereby prevent displacement sidwise
      but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.
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   7. A thin wedge driven between the two semicylindrical parts
      of a divided plug in a hole bored in a stone, to rend the
      stone. --Knight.
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   8. The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float,
      with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or
      enters the water.
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   Note: Feather is used adjectively or in combination, meaning
         composed of, or resembling, a feather or feathers; as,
         feather fan, feather-heeled, feather duster.
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   {Feather alum} (Min.), a hydrous sulphate of alumina,
      resulting from volcanic action, and from the decomposition
      of iron pyrites; -- called also {halotrichite}. --Ure.

   {Feather bed}, a bed filled with feathers.

   {Feather driver}, one who prepares feathers by beating.

   {Feather duster}, a dusting brush of feathers.

   {Feather flower}, an artifical flower made of feathers, for
      ladies' headdresses, and other ornamental purposes.

   {Feather grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Stipa pennata})
      which has a long feathery awn rising from one of the
      chaffy scales which inclose the grain.

   {Feather maker}, one who makes plumes, etc., of feathers,
      real or artificial.

   {Feather ore} (Min.), a sulphide of antimony and lead,
      sometimes found in capillary forms and like a cobweb, but
      also massive. It is a variety of Jamesonite.

   {Feather shot}, or {Feathered shot} (Metal.), copper
      granulated by pouring into cold water. --Raymond.

   {Feather spray} (Naut.), the spray thrown up, like pairs of
      feathers, by the cutwater of a fast-moving vessel.

   {Feather star}. (Zool.) See {Comatula}.

   {Feather weight}. (Racing)
      (a) Scrupulously exact weight, so that a feather would
          turn the scale, when a jockey is weighed or weighted.
      (b) The lightest weight that can be put on the back of a
          horse in racing. --Youatt.
      (c) In wrestling, boxing, etc., a term applied to the
          lightest of the classes into which contestants are
          divided; -- in contradistinction to {light weight},
          {middle weight}, and {heavy weight}.

   {A feather in the cap} an honour, trophy, or mark of
      distinction. [Colloq.]

   {To be in full feather}, to be in full dress or in one's best
      clothes. [Collog.]

   {To be in high feather}, to be in high spirits. [Collog.]

   {To cut a feather}.
      (a) (Naut.) To make the water foam in moving; in allusion
          to the ripple which a ship throws off from her bows.
      (b) To make one's self conspicuous. [Colloq.]

   {To show the white feather}, to betray cowardice, -- a white
      feather in the tail of a cock being considered an
      indication that he is not of the true game breed.
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