To tar and feather a person

To tar and feather a person
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. [1913 Webster]

An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow feathered from her own wing. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster]

2. To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe. [1913 Webster]

A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow ravines. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

3. To render light as a feather; to give wings to.[R.] [1913 Webster]

The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedious hours. --Loveday. [1913 Webster]

4. To enrich; to exalt; to benefit. [1913 Webster]

They stuck not to say that the king cared not to plume his nobility and people to feather himself. --Bacon. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

5. To tread, as a cock. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • To tar and feather a person — Tar Tar, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tarred}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tarring}.] To smear with tar, or as with tar; as, to tar ropes; to tar cloth. [1913 Webster] {To tar and feather a person}. See under {Feather}, v. t. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tar and feather — phrasal : to smear (a person) with tar and cover with feathers as a punishment or indignity tarred and feathered them and rode them out of town on a rail * * * tar and feather see under ↑tar1 • • • Main Entry: ↑feather tar and feather To smear… …   Useful english dictionary

  • tar and feather — verb To cover a person in sticky tar, then covered in feathers which stick to the tar. An archaic means of humiliating a person. O, say they, if you talk with a Mormon Elder, you are sure to get worsted; tar and feather them, mob them, and stone… …   Wiktionary

  • tar-and-feather — verb To cover a person in sticky tar, then covered in feathers which stick to the tar. An archaic means of humiliating a person. The villagers had a strong desire to tar and feather Injun Joe and ride him on a rail, for body snatching, but so… …   Wiktionary

  • tar and feather — phrasal to smear (a person) with tar and cover with feathers as a punishment or indignity …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • tar and feather — idi to coat (a person) with tar and feathers as a punishment or humiliation …   From formal English to slang

  • 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. [1913 Webster] An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow feathered from her own wing. L Estrange.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tar — Tar, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tarred}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tarring}.] To smear with tar, or as with tar; as, to tar ropes; to tar cloth. [1913 Webster] {To tar and feather a person}. See under {Feather}, v. t. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tar — tar1 [tär] n. [ME terre < OE teru < PGmc * terw(i)a , substance from trees < IE base * deru , TREE] 1. a thick, sticky, brown to black liquid with a pungent odor, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood, coal, peat, shale, etc …   English World dictionary

  • To feather an oar — 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. [1913 Webster] An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow feathered from her own wing. L… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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