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.

Featherless
(Feath"er*less), a. Destitute of feathers.

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

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

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

Feathery
(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.

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

Foot featly here and there.
Shak.

Featness
(Feat"ness), n. Skill; adroitness. [Archaic] Johnson.

Feature
(Fea"ture) n. [OE. feture form, shape, feature, OF. faiture fashion, make, fr. L. factura a making, formation, fr. facere, factum, to make. See Feat, Fact, and cf. Facture.]

1. The make, form, or outward appearance of a person; the whole turn or style of the body; esp., good appearance.

What needeth it his feature to descrive?
Chaucer.

Cheated of feature by dissembling nature.
Shak.

2. The make, cast, or appearance of the human face, and especially of any single part of the face; a lineament. (pl.) The face, the countenance.

It is for homely features to keep home.
Milton.

3. The cast or structure of anything, or of any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic; as, one of the features of the landscape.

And to her service bind each living creature
Through secret understanding of their feature.
Spenser.

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.

  By PanEris using Melati.

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