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feathering

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feathering


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Feathering  \Feath"er*ing\,  n. 
  1.  (Arch.)  Same  as  {Foliation}. 
 
  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. 
 
  3.  A  covering  of  feathers. 
 
  {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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  An  eagle  had  the  ill  hap  to  be  struck  with  an  arrow 
  feathered  from  her  own  wing.  --L'Estrange. 
 
  2.  To  adorn,  as  with  feathers;  to  fringe. 
 
  A  few  birches  and  oaks  still  feathered  the  narrow 
  ravines.  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  3.  To  render  light  as  a  feather;  to  give  wings  to.[R.] 
 
  The  Polonian  story  perhaps  may  feather  some  tedions 
  hours.  --Loveday. 
 
  4.  To  enrich;  to  exalt;  to  benefit. 
 
  They  stuck  not  to  say  that  the  king  cared  not  to 
  plume  his  nobility  and  people  to  feather  himself. 
  --Bacon. 
  --Dryden. 
 
  5.  To  tread,  as  a  cock.  --Dryden. 
 
  {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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  feathering 
  n  :  turning  an  oar  parallel  to  the  water  between  pulls  [syn:  {feather}] 




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