Feathering

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Feather \Feath"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Feathered}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Feathering.}]
     1. To furnish with a feather or feathers, as an arrow or a
        cap.
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              An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow
              feathered from her own wing.          --L'Estrange.
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     2. To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe.
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              A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow
              ravines.                              --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.
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     3. To render light as a feather; to give wings to.[R.]
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              The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedious
              hours.                                --Loveday.
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     4. To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.
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              They stuck not to say that the king cared not to
              plume his nobility and people to feather himself.
                                                    --Bacon.
        --Dryden.
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     5. To tread, as a cock. --Dryden.
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     {To feather one's nest}, to provide for one's self especially
        from property belonging to another, confided to one's
        care; -- an expression taken from the practice of birds
        which collect feathers for the lining of their nests.
  
     {To feather an oar} (Naut), to turn it when it leaves the
        water so that the blade will be horizontal and offer the
        least resistance to air while reaching for another stroke.
        
  
     {To tar and feather a person}, to smear him with tar and
        cover him with feathers, as a punishment or an indignity.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Feathering \Feath"er*ing\, n.
     1. (Arch.) Same as {Foliation}.
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     2. The act of turning the blade of the oar, as it rises from
        the water in rowing, from a vertical to a horizontal
        position. See {To feather an oar}, under {Feather}, v. t.
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     3. A covering of feathers.
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     {Feathering float} (Naut.), the float or paddle of a
        feathering wheel.
  
     {Feathering screw} (Naut.), a screw propeller, of which the
        blades may be turned so as to move edgewise through the
        water when the vessel is moving under sail alone.
  
     {Feathering wheel} (Naut.), a paddle wheel whose floats turn
        automatically so as to dip about perpendicularly into the
        water and leave in it the same way, avoiding beating on
        the water in the descent and lifting water in the ascent.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  feathering
       n : turning an oar parallel to the water between pulls [syn: {feather}]