Part 80

Nonsense feathered with soft and delicate phrases and pointed with pathetic accent.

Dr. J. Scott.

2. Furnished with anything featherlike; ornamented; fringed; as, land feathered with trees.

3. (Zoˆl.) Having a fringe of feathers, as the legs of certian birds; or of hairs, as the legs of a setter dog.

4. (Her.) Having feathers; -- said of an arrow, when the feathers are of a tincture different from that of the shaft.

Feath"er-edge` (?), n. 1. (Zoˆl.) The thin, new growth around the edge of a shell, of an oyster.

2. Any thin, as on a board or a razor.

Feath"er-edged` (?), a. Having a feather-edge; also, having one edge thinner than the other, as a board; -- in the United States, said only of stuff one edge of which is made as thin as practicable.

Feath"er-few (?), n. (Bot.) Feverfew.

Feath"er-foil` (?), n. [Feather + foil a leaf.] (Bot.) An aquatic plant (Hottonia palustris), having finely divided leaves.

Feath"er-head` (?), n. A frivolous or featherbrained person. [Colloq.] H. James.

Feath"er-head`ed (?), a. Giddy; frivolous; foolish. [Colloq.] G. Eliot.

Feath"er-heeled` (?), a. Light- heeled; gay; frisky; frolicsome. [Colloq.]

Feath"er*i*ness (?), n. The state or condition of being feathery.

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.

Feath"er*less, a. Destitute of feathers.

Feath"er*ly, a. Like feathers. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Feath"er-pat"ed (?), a. Feather- headed; frivolous. [Colloq.] Sir W. Scott.

Feath"er-veined` (?), a. (Bot.) Having the veins (of a leaf) diverging from the two sides of a midrib.

Feath"er*y (?), a. Pertaining to, or resembling, feathers; covered with, or as with, feathers; as, feathery spray or snow. Milton.

Ye feathery people of mid air.

Barry Cornwall.

Feat"ly (?), adv. [From Feat, a.] Neatly; dexterously; nimbly. [Archaic]

Foot featly here and there.

Shak.