feather
gb/fˈɛðɚ/ us/fˈɛðɚ/
A2
Engleză
~ 2000
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Substantiv
A2
entity
1
A bird's body covering part
A light, soft part that grows from a bird's skin and covers its body.
Tipar de utilizare:
a [adjective] feather
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse 'feather' with 'fur' or 'hair', but 'feathers' are only on birds.
Sinonime
plume (Often refers to a large or decorative feather, especially for display.)
Antonime
fur (Refers to the soft hair covering mammals, not birds.)
Colocații
white feather
|loose feather
|feather pillow
|feather pattern
|feather coat
Teme
nature
|animals
|biology
Exemple
- The peacock's tail is covered in colorful feathers.
- A small feather drifted down from the bird's wing.
- She found a feather on the forest path.
- The eagle's feathers are strong yet lightweight.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The bird has blue feathers.
- I saw a feather on the ground.
- This feather is very soft.
- The chicken lost a small feather.
Verb
technical
C1
action
2
Turn propeller blades to reduce drag
To turn the blades of a plane's propeller so that they face the wind and slow the plane less when the engine stops.
Tipar de utilizare:
to feather [propeller/blades]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may confuse this with literal feathers from birds; in aviation, it is a technical action involving propellers.
Sinonime
adjust (General term for changing position; not specific to aviation.)
Antonime
unfeather (Technical opposite — to return blades to their normal operating position.)
Colocații
feather the propeller
|propeller feathering system
|engine feathering
Teme
aviation
|technology
|travel
|transportation
Exemple
- The pilot had to feather the propeller after the engine failed.
- Feathering the blades reduced drag and helped maintain control.
- In case of engine trouble, remember to feather quickly.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The pilot will feather the propeller.
- They feathered the blades after the engine stopped.
- He knows how to feather in an emergency.
Verb
B2
action
3
Blend or smooth edges
To make the edge of something soft and smooth so it mixes into another area without a hard line.
Tipar de utilizare:
to feather [edge/line] into [surface/color]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may think it means adding bird feathers; here it means smoothing or blending edges in art/design.
Sinonime
blend (General term for mixing smoothly; 'feather' often used in visual or tactile contexts.)
Antonime
sharpen (To make an edge more defined, the opposite of blending or softening.)
Colocații
feather the edges
|feather into background
|feather brush tool
Teme
art
|design
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- The artist feathered the paint into the background.
- Use this tool to feather the photo edges for a softer look.
- She feathered the makeup around her eyes.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Feather the color into the wall.
- He will feather the edges of the photo.
- I can feather this line so it is soft.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
feather
IPA
GB/fˈɛðɚ/
US/fˈɛðɚ/
Silabe și accent
feath - er (2 silabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (feath)
Forme ale cuvântului
Noun
- Base: feather
- Plural: feathers
Verb
- Base: feather
- 3rd Person Singular: feathers
- Present Participle: feathering
- Past: feathered
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
feathers
noun
feathering
verb
feathered
verb
Core family
feathery
adjective
Related words
down
noun A1
quill
noun
Negative and opposite forms
featherless
adjective
Expresii
birds of a feather (flock together)
1/bˈɚdz əv ə fˈɛðɚ flˈɑk təɡˈɛðɚ/
idiom
Similar people stay together
People who are alike often spend time together.
Exemple
- Those two are always together—birds of a feather!
- Birds of a feather flock together, as they say.
feather one's nest
1/fˈɛðɚ wˈʌnz nˈɛst/
idiom
Gain personal profit dishonestly
To get money or benefit for yourself, often in a dishonest way, while working or having power.
Exemple
- The corrupt official was accused of feathering his own nest.
- He spent years feathering his nest at the company's expense.
light as a feather
1/lˈaɪt ˈæz ə fˈɛðɚ/
idiom
Extremely light in weight
Very, very light; almost no weight.
Exemple
- This scarf is light as a feather.
- The baby bird felt light as a feather in her hands.
ruffle someone's feathers
1/ɹˈʌfəl sˈʌmwˌʌnz fˈɛðɚz/
idiom
informal
Annoy or upset someone slightly
To do something that makes someone feel annoyed or upset.
Exemple
- His comments really ruffled her feathers.
- Try not to ruffle anyone's feathers during the meeting.
white feather
1/wˈaɪt fˈɛðɚ/
fixed phrase
Symbol of cowardice (UK historical)
A white feather given as a sign that someone is a coward, especially in British history during wartime.
Exemple
- In World War I, some women gave white feathers to young men not in uniform.
- Receiving a white feather was considered an insult.