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.
Feat"ness, n. Skill; adroitness. [Archaic] Johnson.
Fea"ture (?; 135), 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.