feather
feather — 名詞
1. one of the thin, lightweight structures that grow from a bird's skin and cover i
羽毛
鳥類體表的輕柔結構
one of the thin, lightweight structures that grow from a bird's skin and cover its body — each has a long central shaft with soft strands branching out from both sides
Théo found a blue feather from a jay lying on the grass this morning.
Théo 今天早上在草地上發現了一根藍色的松鴉羽毛。
The peacock spread its long, colourful feathers to attract a mate in the park.
孔雀在公園裡張開長而鮮豔的羽毛來吸引伴侶。
countable: a bird's individual feathers
A duck's feathers keep it dry because they are coated with a thin layer of oil.
鴨子的羽毛表面有一層薄薄的油脂，所以能夠防水。
Sayaka used a soft feather as a bookmark while reading her novel last night.
Sayaka 昨晚用一根軟羽毛當書籤看小說。
The bird's feathers were ruffled by the strong wind blowing across the lake.
那隻鳥的羽毛被湖面上的強風吹得凌亂不堪。
文法句型
feather + verb (a feather falls, feathers cover)
用法筆記
Often used in the plural (feathers) when referring to a bird's full body covering; the singular (a feather) refers to one individual structure.
常見錯誤
2. in rowing or canoeing, the action of turning the blade of an oar or paddle so th
平槳
划槳時將槳面轉至水平
in rowing or canoeing, the action of turning the blade of an oar or paddle so that its flat side faces the sky while the rower moves it forward between strokes, reducing wind resistance
Ryo practised the feather every time he lifted the oar out of the cold water.
Ryo 每次把槳從冷水裡抬起來時，都會練習平槳的動作。
Good feather helps a rower keep the boat balanced and steady between each stroke.
良好的平槳動作能幫助划槳手在兩次划水之間保持船身平穩。
uncountable: 'the feather' as a technique
The coach showed the new crew how to do a clean feather with each pull of the oar.
教練向新隊員示範如何在每次划槳時做出乾淨俐落的平槳。
Without proper feather, the blade catches the wind and slows the boat down.
平槳動作如果不正確，槳葉會迎風導致船速減慢。
文法句型
do a feather
practice the feather
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the context of rowing and canoeing. Not used in everyday conversation about birds — do not confuse with sense noun/1.
feather — 動詞
1. to twist an oar or paddle as you lift it out of the water so that its flat face
平轉槳
划槳時將槳面轉平減少阻力
to twist an oar or paddle as you lift it out of the water so that its flat face points upward, reducing wind resistance while you swing the blade forward into position for the next stroke
Rodrigo learned to feather the oar on his very first day of rowing practice.
Rodrigo 在划船練習的第一天就學會了如何平轉船槳。
Niran feathered his paddle quickly as the canoe approached the narrow rocky channel.
Niran 在獨木舟接近狹窄的岩石水道時迅速將槳轉平。
transitive: feather + paddle/oar as object
The entire rowing team practised how to feather together at the end of each long stroke.
整支划船隊練習如何在每次長划結束時一起將槳轉平。
If you feather the oar too early, you lose pulling power on the next stroke entirely.
如果太早將槳轉平，下一划就會完全失去拉力。
Eshe watched the experienced rower feather the blade smoothly before every new pull.
Eshe 看著經驗豐富的划槳手在每次新划之前流暢地將槳轉平。
- turn (the oar)
Less specific; 'feather' is the precise technical term for the 90-degree rotation
文法句型
feather + object (oar/paddle/blade)
用法筆記
The noun form of this action is 'feather' (see noun/2). In competitive rowing, the feather is an essential skill that beginners must master.
2. to attach, cover, or decorate something with actual feathers or feather-like mat
飾以羽毛
用羽毛裝飾或覆蓋
to attach, cover, or decorate something with actual feathers or feather-like material, usually for costume design, art, or traditional crafts
The costume designer feathered the dancer's headdress with bright parrot plumes.
服裝設計師用鮮豔的鸚鵡羽毛裝飾舞者的頭飾。
transitive: feather object + with + material
Saira feathered her carnival mask using small blue and green feathers from the craft shop.
Saira 用工藝品店買來的小片藍色和綠色羽毛裝飾她的嘉年華面具。
Traditional headpieces were feathered with eagle plumes for special ceremonies.
傳統頭飾會用鷹羽裝飾，用於重要儀式。
The child feathered her art project by gluing coloured feathers onto a paper bird shape.
那個孩子把彩色羽毛黏在紙鳥造型上，完成了她的美勞作品。
Abigail feathered the edges of her dream catcher with soft white down from a pillow.
Abigail 用枕頭裡的柔軟絨毛裝飾她的捕夢網邊緣。
文法句型
feather + object + with (material)
be feathered with + material
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice (was feathered / were feathered) to describe how something is decorated. This sense is different from verb/4 (grow feathers), which describes a bird's natural development.
3. in carpentry and woodworking, to connect two wooden boards by cutting a raised r
嵌接
以榫槽方式拼接木板
in carpentry and woodworking, to connect two wooden boards by cutting a raised ridge (tongue) on the edge of one board and a matching groove on the edge of the other, so they fit together snugly
The carpenter feathered the two oak boards before applying wood glue to the joint.
木匠將兩塊橡木板嵌接好，然後在接合處塗上木工膠。
transitive: feather + board(s) as object
Haruto feathered the edge of each shelf board so it locked tightly into the cabinet frame.
Haruto 把每塊層板的邊緣嵌接好，使其緊密地卡入櫥櫃框架。
This old dining table was built by feathering each drawer side into the front panel.
這張舊餐桌是用嵌接的方式把每個抽屜側板接到前面板的。
To make the joint strong, you need to feather the tongue into the groove very precisely.
要讓接合處夠牢固，必須精準地將榫頭嵌進凹槽中。
- join
General term; 'join' does not specify the tongue-and-groove method
- fit together
Describes the result without naming the technique
文法句型
feather + object (board/plank) + into/onto + object
用法筆記
A technical term used by woodworkers and carpenters. In everyday English, people usually say 'join with a tongue and groove' rather than the single verb 'feather'.
4. of a young bird: to develop and produce feathers on its body as it grows and mat
長羽毛
雛鳥長出羽毛
of a young bird: to develop and produce feathers on its body as it grows and matures
The baby sparrows began to feather about three weeks after they hatched.
小麻雀在孵出大約三週後開始長羽毛。
intransitive: subject (bird) + feather
Eli watched the robin chicks feather and prepare to leave the nest for the first time.
Eli 觀察知更鳥的雛鳥長出羽毛並準備首次離巢。
Young eagles take much longer to feather than small garden birds do.
小鷹長羽毛的時間比小型庭園鳥類長得多。
A parrot chick that does not feather properly may need a special diet from the vet.
如果鸚鵡幼鳥的羽毛長不好，可能需要獸醫提供特別的飲食。
The baby ducklings feathered quickly and soon began swimming on their own.
小鴨很快就長出了羽毛，並開始自己游泳。
- develop feathers
A longer, more formal way to express the same idea
文法句型
subject (bird/chick) + feather
begin to feather
start feathering
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for young birds. Not used for adult birds that are moulting and regrowing feathers — that process is called 'moulting', not 'feathering'.