Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: White Feather |
White FeatherNoun1. A symbol of cowardice. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | White Feather To show the white feather. To show cowardice. No gamecock has a white feather. A white feather indicates a cross-breed in birds. Showing the white feather. Some years ago a bloody war was raging between the Indians and settlers of the backwoods of North America. A Quaker, who refused to fly, saw one day a horde of savages rushing down towards his house. He set food before them, and when they had eaten the chief fastened a white feather over the door as a badge of friendship and peace. Though many bands passed that house, none ever violated the covenant by injuring its inmates or property. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Slang in 1811 | WHITE FEATHER. He has a white feather; he is a coward; an allusion to a game cock, where having a white leather is a proof he is not of the true game breed. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Cowardice | Verb: quail; (fear); be cowardly; Adjective:, be a coward; Noun: funk; cower,skulk, sneak; flinch, shy, fight shy, slink, turn tail; run away; (avoid); show, the white feather. |
Poltroonery, baseness; dastardness, dastardy; abject fear, funk; Dutch courage; fear; white feather, faint heart; cold feet , yellow streak. | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: White Feather |
| English words defined with "white feather": To show the white feather. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "white feather": Game for a Spree. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Movie/TV Titles | White Feather (1955) A White Feather Volunteer (1915) The White Feather (1914) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | Redbeard sponge in the intertidal zone with a white feather caught in one of its crevices. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
Expressions using "white feather": show the white feather ♦ the white feather ♦ To show the white feather. Additional references. | |
| 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. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
white feather | 24 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "white feather"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||
Finnish | jänistää (funk, show the white feather). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||
Greek | δειλία (cowardice, dismay, fearfulness, pusillanimity, sheepishness, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | gyávaság jele, gyávaság (cowardice, faintheartedness, poltroonery, rabbit fever, recreancy, timidity, timidness, timorousness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 白羽 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | しらは (drawn sword, naked sword). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | itewhay eatherfay fi fricos (show the white feather). (various references) korkaklık belirtisi. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | Anser erythropus, Canarium euphyllum, Cemiostoma coffeella, Ceratovacuna lanigera, Leucoptera coffeella, Liriodendron tulipifera, Luscinia svecica cyanecula, Mniotilta varia, Motacilla alba alba, Oregma lanigera, Oregma lanigerum, Perileucoptera coffeella, Tripneustes ventricosus, Verbascum lychnititis L.. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-e-e-f-h-h-i-r-t-t-w" | |
-3 letters: therewith. | |
-4 letters: feterita, heathier, herewith. | |
-5 letters: ariette, fattier, feather, heather, heftier, iterate, teether, terefah, theater, theatre, thereat, thewier, thither, tweeter, weather, whereat, whether, whetter, whither, whitter, wreathe. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-e-e-f-h-h-i-r-t-t-w" | |
+1 letter: featherweight. | |
+2 letters: featherweights. | |
| 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. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Photo Album 6. Expressions 7. Expressions: Internet 8. Translations: Modern | 9. Translations: Ancient 10. Anagrams 11. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
