Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
"FEATHERS" is a plural of: feather. |
Date "FEATHERS" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1050. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | Feathers (The). A public-house sign in compliment to Henry VI., whose cognizance it was. Fine feathers make fine birds. (Latin, "Vestis virum facit, " dress makes the man). The French proverb is "La belle plume fait le bel oiseau." The Prince of Wales' feathers. The tradition is, that the Black Prince, having slain John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, in the Battle of Cressy, assumed his crest and motto. The crest consisted of three ostrich feathers, and the motto was "Ich dien " (I serve). John of Arden discovered a contemporary MS., in which it is expressly said that this was the case; but much controversy has arisen on the question. Dr. Bell affirms that the crest is a rebus of Queen Philippa's hereditary title - viz. Countess of Ostre-vant (ostrich-feather). Randall Holmes claims an old British origin; and the Rev. H. Longueville asserts that the arms of Roderick Mawe, prior to the division of Wales into principalities, was thus blazoned: - "Argent, three lions passant regardant, with their tails passing between their legs and curling over their backs in a feathery form." Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering on a bird.Feathers, which originate from the scales of reptiles, are the most complicated integumentary structure among the vertebrates. Like hair, nails and scales, feathers are integumentary appendages; skin organs that form by controlled proliferation of cells in the epidermis, or outer skin layer, that produce keratin proteins. They insulate birds from water and cold temperatures and provide colour which is sometimes used as camouflage against predators and sometimes as a means of visual communication. Although individual feathers are very light, a bird's plumage weighs two or three times more than its skeleton.
There are two basic types of feather; vaned feathers which cover exterior of the body and down feathers which are underneath the vaned feathers providing an insulating layer. The vaned feathers include the remiges (flight-feathers), the rectrices (tail-feathers) and the contour feathers which are distributed over the whole body. A typical feather features a main shaft, called the rachis. Fused to the rachis are a series of branches, or barbs, the barbs themselves are also branched and form the barbules. At the base of the feather, the rachis expands to form the hollow tubular calamus, or quill, which inserts into a follicle in the skin.
A bird’s feathers are replaced periodically during its life through molt, new feathers are formed through the same follicle from which the old ones were fledged.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Feather."
Synonym: FEATHERSSynonym: Down. (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Bungler | Land lubber; fresh water sailor, fair weather sailor; horse marine; fish out of water, ass in lion's skin,land lubber; fresh water sailor, fair weather sailor; horse marine; fish out of water, ass in lion's skin, jackdaw in peacock's feathers; quack; (deceiver); lord of misrule. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | All those feathers and he still can't fly (The Spy Who Loved Me; writing credit: Christopher Wood) Their feathers are just too bright (The Shawshank Redemption; writing credit: Frank Darabont) Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken (Fight Club; writing credit: Jim Uhls) Question: Who's going to make the feathers fly and knock Batman and Robin out of the sky (Batman; writing credit: Bob Kane; Lorenzo Semple Jr.) Or fur or feathers or sequins or pleats (Will & Grace; writing credit: Evan Weinstein) | |
Lyrics | American girls are feathers and cream (American Girls; performing artist: Counting Crows) I love cornrows and Farrah Fawcett feathers (Put Ya Hands Up; performing artist: KISS) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Fine Feathers (1968) Feathers in the Wind (1957) Life with Feathers (1945) The Four Feathers (1939) Ostrich Feathers (1937) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References | |||
Books | |||
Periodicals |
| ||
Theater & Movies |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Sage Grouse with feathers spread out. Credit: Unknown. |  | Acrylic painting of a Canada Goose by Robert Hautman, 205 N. Union Terrace Lane, Plymouth, MN 55441. The goose is standing on reeds by a Minnesota lake with feathers ruffling in the wind and sun. Bob's outstanding achievements also include 1995 Minnesota Pheasant Stamp, the 1992 and 1993 Minnesota State Duck Stamp, and the 1989 Nevada State Duck Stamp. Other honors include the Ducks Unlimited Flyway artist in 1996 and the featured artist at the prestigious Michigan Wildlife art show in 1990. As the third Hautman brother to win the Federal Duck Stamp Competition, Bob was the second place winner in the 1994 contest when his brother Jim won with a pair of mallards depicted on the 1995 stamp. Return to the Federal Duck Stamp Office Home Page. |
 | Collecting Oil-covered Bird Feathers. Credit: Alaska Historical Image Library. |  | A. bad egg. Fuss and feathers. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Old Fuss and Feathers. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | She appeared in the doorway with an armful of snowy feathers. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Long legged, large beaked bird with feathers plucked, labeled Hughes governor, Parker nominated, McClellan mayor, and one remaining, Independence League. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Pogo]. Mole, stop sprinklin' feathers onto me .. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Turkey feathers being dried on porch of Cajun farmhouse near Crowley, Louisiana. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Quanah Parker, Comanche Indian Chief, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, holding feathers, in front of tepee. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Peacock feathers" by Velda Christensen Commentary: "The peacock was unwilling to display his feathers as he should, and even when he did I had a hard time catching a good angle. But the feathers themselves are quite interesting, I think." | "Black feathers" by Paige Foster Commentary: "Black crow feathers." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Jean Paul Richter | Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | One day, I gave you a willow battledore, and a shuttlecock with yellow, blue, and green feathers. |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | And chickens lay in the sunny dust and fluffed their feathers to get the cleansing dust down to the skin |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | The feathers and wings of birds are still drier and thinner leaves |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Some people are allergic to the flakes of skin or dried saliva from animals with fur or feathers. (references) | |
Nonstandardized extracts of cockroach (an important cause of inner-city asthma), giant ragweed, mold, peanuts, dog dander, and feathers are proposed for future standardization. (references) | ||
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | MAN, n. An animal so lost in rapturous contemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be. His chief occupation is extermination of other animals and his own species, which, however, multiplies with such insistent rapidity as to infest the whole habitable earh and Canada. When the world was young and Man was new, And everything was pleasant, Distinctions Nature never drew 'Mongst kings and priest and peasant. We're not that way at present, Save here in this Republic, where We have that old regime, For all are kings, however bare Their backs, howe'er extreme Their hunger. And, indeed, each has a voice To accept the tyrant of his party's choice. A citizen who would not vote, And, therefore, was detested, Was one day with a tarry coat (With feathers backed and breasted) By patriots invested. "It is your duty," cried the crowd, "Your ballot true to cast For the man o' your choice." He humbly bowed, And explained his wicked past: "That's what I very gladly would have done, Dear patriots, but he has never run." Apperton Duke |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "FEATHERS" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 93.87% of the time. "FEATHERS" is used about 635 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (plural) | 93.87% | 596 | 10,698 |
| Noun (proper) | 3.3% | 21 | 76,261 |
| Lexical Verb (-s form) | 2.83% | 18 | 82,615 |
| Total | 100.00% | 635 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "FEATHERS" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Feathers | Last name | 1,000 | 10,088 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "FEATHERS": Contour feathers ♦ fine feathers make fine birds ♦ Flight feathers ♦ grow feathers ♦ jackdaw in peacock's feathers ♦ Live feathers ♦ make the feathers fly ♦ ruffle its feathers ♦ ruffle one's feathers ♦ sea feathers ♦ shed feathers ♦ shed the feathers ♦ singe one's feathers ♦ To ruffle the feathers of. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "FEATHERS": tail-feathers. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "FEATHERS"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Arabic | الكسوة بالريش, الريش, الشيء الخفيف (light). (various references) | |
Chinese | 翎 (tail feathers). (various references) | |
Danish | fjer med klippede kanter (klippe) (feathers with trimmed edges), vifte af prydfjer (fan made of ornemental feathers), sengefjer (bed feathers), pjusket fjerdragt (ruffled feathers), lokale til opsamling af fjer (room for collecting feathers). (various references) | |
Dutch | zadelveren (saddle feathers), waaier van sierveren (fan made of ornemental feathers), staartveren (tail feathers), rugveren (back feathers), pootveren (shank feathers), lokaal voor het verzamelen van de veren (room for collecting feathers), halsveren (neck feathers, neck hackles), dijveren (leg feathers), buikveren (belly feathers), borstveren (breast feathers), bedveren (bed feathers). (various references) | |
Finnish | moni on kakku päältä kaunis (fine feathers do not always make fine birds). (various references) | |
French | vêtir pare des plumes. (various references) | |
German | Federn (be resilient, be springy, bounce, fit with suspension, Molt, plumes, resilience, shed feathers, spring). (various references) | |
Greek | στηθιαία φτερά (breast feathers), βεντάλια κατασκευασμένη από φτερά στολισμού (fan made of ornemental feathers), πτερορροώ (shed the feathers), φτερά κομμένα στα άκρα (feathers with trimmed edges), φτερά για στρώματα (bed feathers), φτερά νεφρικής χώρας (saddle feathers), φτερά των μηρών (leg feathers), φτερά των άκρων (shank feathers), φτερά της κοιλίας (belly feathers), φτερά της ράχης (back feathers), φτερά της ουράς (tail feathers), φτερά του λαιμού (neck feathers), αίθουσα για τη συλλογή των πτερών (room for collecting feathers). (various references) | |
Hungarian | kellemetlen jelenetet rendez (to make the feathers fly, to make the fur fly). (various references) | |
Indonesian | burik (dotted, pockmarked, skin), speckled (of feathers). (various references) | |
Italian | ventaglio di piume ornamentali (fan made of ornemental feathers), piume rifilate (feathers with trimmed edges), piume da letto (bed feathers), penne pettorali (breast feathers), penne della sella (saddle feathers), penne della coda (tail feathers), penne del piede (shank feathers), penne del dorso (back feathers), penne del collo (neck feathers), penene ventrali (belly feathers), penene della coscia (leg feathers), locale per il recupero delle piume (room for collecting feathers), calzatura (footgear, footwear, shoe). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 羽毛 (down, plumage), 羽毛 (down, plumage). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | うもう (down, plumage). (various references) | |
Manx | stappag (tuft of feathers). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eathersfay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | plastron (breast feathers), penas dos membros (leg feathers), penas do ventre (belly feathers), penas do pescoço (neck feathers), penas do dorso (back feathers), penas de colchoaria (bed feathers), penas das patas (shank feathers), penas da região lombar (saddle feathers), penas da cauda (tail feathers), penas aparadas (feathers with trimmed edges), leque constituído por penas de adorno (fan made of ornemental feathers), compartimento para a recolha das penas (room for collecting feathers). (various references) | |
Romanian | face tãrãboi (make the dust fly, make the feathers fly, make the fur fly, racket, rampage, riot), se arde (singe one's feathers), haina face pe om (fine feathers make fine birds). (various references) | |
Russian | гусиный перо (goose feathers). (various references) | |
Scottish | ceòsan (burr or light down of feathers). (various references) | |
Spanish | plumas recortadas (feathers with trimmed edges), plumas para artículos de camas (bed feathers), plumas del cuello (neck feathers), plumas de vientre (belly feathers), plumas de las patas (shank feathers), plumas de la cola (tail feathers), plastrón (plastron), manto (cloak, coat, mantle, overcoat, pallium, robe, wrap), local para la recuperación de plumas (room for collecting feathers), llorón (crybaby, maudlin, weeper, weeping, weepy), emplumar (feather, grow feathers, plume, swindle), botines (leg feathers), abanico formado con plumas de adorno (fan made of ornemental feathers). (various references) | |
Swedish | fjäderdräkt (feathering, indumentum, plumage). (various references) | |
Turkish | ye kürküm ye (fine feathers make fine birds), tüyleri kabarmak (ruffle one's feathers). (various references) | |
Turkmen | pazyl (lashes). (various references) | |
Welsh | gorblu (immature feathers). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | depilatus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Daniel Chapter 4, Verse 33 |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | In ipso tempore sensus meus reversus est ad me et ad honorem regni mei decoremque perveni et figura mea reversa est ad me et optimates mei et magistratus mei requisierunt me et in regno meo constitutus sum et magnificentia amplior addita est mihi |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | That tyme my wit tourned ayein to me, and I came fully to the honour of my kingdam, and fairnesse, and my figure, or shap, turnyde ayein to me; and my best men and my magestratis ayein souyten me, and I am ordeyned in my kingdam, and my magnyfience, or gretenesse, is addid to me. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | That very hour the order about Nebuchadnezzar was put into effect: and he was sent out from among men, and had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair became long as eagles' feathers and his nails like those of birds. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Daniel Chapter 4, Verse 33 |
| Cebuano | Sa maong takna natuman ang butang diha kang Nabucodonosor; ug siya giabog gikan sa mga tawo, ug mikaon sa mga balili sama sa mga vaca, ug ang iyang lawas nahumod sa yamog sa langit, hangtud ang iyang buhok mingtubo ingon sa mga balhibo sa mga agila, ug ang iyang mga kuko ingon sa mga kulamoy sa mga langgam. |
| Croatian | U isti èas razum mi se vrati, i na slavu moje kraljevske èasti vrati mi se velièanstvo i sjaj; moji me savjetnici i velikaši potražiše, bih uspostavljen u kraljevsku èast i moja velièina još poraste. |
| Danish | I samme Stund fuldbyrdedes Ordet på Nebukadnezar; han blev udstødt af Menneskenes Samfund og åd Græs som Kvæget, og hans Legeme vædedes af Himmelens Dug, til hans Hår blev langt som Ørnefjer og hans Negle som Fuglekløer. |
| Dutch | Ter zelfder ure werd dat woord volbracht over Nebukadnezar, want hij werd uit de mensen verstoten, en hij at gras als de ossen, en zijn lichaam werd van den dauw des hemels nat gemaakt, totdat zijn haar wies als der arenden vederen, en zijn nagelen als der vogelen. |
| Finnish | Siihen aikaan palasi minun järkeni, ja palasi minun valtasuuruuteni ja loistoni, minun valtakuntani kunniaksi. Ja minun hallitusmieheni ja ylimykseni etsivät minut, ja minut pantiin jälleen hallitsemaan valtakuntaani, ja minun valtani lisääntyi ylenpalttisesti. |
| French | Au même instant la parole s`accomplit sur Nebucadnetsar. Il fut chassé du milieu des hommes, il mangea de l`herbe comme les boeufs, son corps fut trempé de la rosée du ciel; jusqu`à ce que ses cheveux crussent comme les plumes des aigles, et ses ongles comme ceux des oiseaux. |
| German | Von Stund an ward das Wort vollbracht über Nebukadnezar, und er ward verstoßen von den Leuten hinweg, und er aß Gras wie Ochsen, und sein Leib lag unter dem Tau des Himmels, und er ward naß, bis sein Haar wuchs so groß wie Adlersfedern und seine Nägel wie Vogelsklauen wurden. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Pada saat itu juga, kata-kata itu menjadi kenyataan. Aku, Nebukadnezar diusir dari masyarakat manusia dan makan rumput seperti sapi. Tubuhku dibasahi embun, rambutku menjadi sepanjang bulu elang, dan kukuku sepanjang cakar burung. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka pada ketika itu juga firman ini berlakulah atas Nebukadnezar, karena iapun ditolak oranglah dan rumputpun dimakannya seperti lembu, dan tubuhnyapun dibasahkan oleh air embun dari langit, sehingga rambutnyapun tumbuhlah seperti bulu burung nasar dan kukunyapun panjanglah seperti cakar unggas. |
| Maori | I taua haora ano ka rite taua mea ki a Nepukaneha: na ka aia atu ia i roto i nga tangata, a kai tarutaru ana ia, pera ana me nga kau, i maku ano tona tinana i te tomairangi o te rangi, tupu noa iho ona huruhuru, kei nga huruhuru ekara te rite, o na matikuku rite tonu ki o te manu. |
| Norwegian | I samme stund blev dette ord fullbyrdet på Nebukadnesar; han blev utstøtt fra menneskene og åt urter likesom oksene, og av himmelens dugg blev hans kropp vætet, til hans hår vokste og blev som ørnefjær, og hans negler som fugleklør. |
| Portuguese | Na mesma hora a palavra se cumpriu sobre Nabucodonozor, e foi expulso do meio dos homens, e comia erva como os bois, e o seu corpo foi molhado do orvalho do ceu, até que lhe cresceu o cabelo como as penas da águia, e as suas unhas como as das aves: |
| Rumanian | Chiar kn clipa aceea, s`a kmplinit cuvkntul acela asupra lui Nebucadneyar. A fost izgonit din mijlocul oamenilor, a mkncat iarbq ca boii, trupul i -a fost udat de roua cerului, pknq i -a crescut pqrul ca penele vulturului, wi unghiile ca ghiarele pqsqrilor.`` |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "FEATHERS": featherstitch, featherstitched, featherstitches, featherstitching. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "FEATHERS": horsefeathers, pinfeathers. (additional references) | |
| |
"FEATHERS" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Earthers, Feiteiras, felther, Feyther, fueather. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "FEATHERS" (pronounced fe"therz) |
| 4 | -e" th er z | heathers, leathers, tethers, weathers. |
| 3 | -th er z | bathers, bellwethers, bothers, brothers, dithers, druthers, fathers, forefathers, furthers, gathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, lathers, mothers, others, Smithers, smothers, southers, withers, zithers. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-e-f-h-r-s-t" | |
-1 letter: aethers, afreets, fathers, feaster, feather, freshet, hafters, heaters, hefters, reheats, terefah. | |
-2 letters: aether, afreet, afresh, afters, aretes, earths, easter, eaters, ethers, faster, father, feater, fester, freest, haeres, hafter, haters, hearse, hearts, heater, hefter, hereat, reheat, reseat, seater, strafe, teaser, theres, threes, trefah. | |
-3 letters: after, arete, aster, earth, eater, erase, ester, ether, fares, fates. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-e-f-h-r-s-t" | |
+2 letters: aftershave, fatherless, fatshedera, freshwater, hereafters, stepfather. | |
+3 letters: aftershaves, fatshederas, featherbeds, featheriest, featherings, featherless, forefathers, foregathers, freightages, freshwaters, housefather, pinfeathers, softhearted, stepfathers. | |
+4 letters: fatherliness, featheredges, featherheads, furtherances, headforemost, heterografts, housefathers. | |
+5 letters: featherbrains, featherstitch, flamethrowers, horsefeathers, softheartedly, weatherproofs. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Usage Frequency | 13. Names: Frequency 14. Expressions 15. Expressions: Internet 16. Translations: Modern | 17. Translations: Ancient 18. Bible Trace 19. Derivations 20. Rhymes | 21. Anagrams 22. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
