flight feather
noun
: one of the quills of a bird's wing or tail that support it in flight compare contour feather
Examples of flight feather in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In flight feathers, the barbs interlock like Velcro teeth to form the smooth, windproof surface of the vanes.
—
Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
The contour feathers that streamline a bird’s body, for example, have vaned tips like flight feathers and noninterlocking barbs like down ones.
—Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Flamingos are distinguished by their pink-colored plumage and black flight feathers on their wings, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023
However, trimming flamingos flight feathers is considered by many to be inhumane, according to the American Bird Conservancy.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2023
The reason some may believe flamingos cannot fly is because flamingos in zoos often have their flight feathers trimmed.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2023
Unlike flight feathers, these have a very short stem.
—Joseph Albanese, Outdoor Life, 26 May 2020
In modern birds, barbicels are the structures that allow flight feathers to retain their shape as birds flap their wings.
—Rachel Fritts, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2020
And now engineers are turning to the species for research by adding pigeon flight feathers to an airborne robot.
—Rob Verger, Popular Science, 16 Jan. 2020
Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
The contour feathers that streamline a bird’s body, for example, have vaned tips like flight feathers and noninterlocking barbs like down ones.
—Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Flamingos are distinguished by their pink-colored plumage and black flight feathers on their wings, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023
However, trimming flamingos flight feathers is considered by many to be inhumane, according to the American Bird Conservancy.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2023
The reason some may believe flamingos cannot fly is because flamingos in zoos often have their flight feathers trimmed.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2023
Unlike flight feathers, these have a very short stem.
—Joseph Albanese, Outdoor Life, 26 May 2020
In modern birds, barbicels are the structures that allow flight feathers to retain their shape as birds flap their wings.
—Rachel Fritts, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2020
And now engineers are turning to the species for research by adding pigeon flight feathers to an airborne robot.
—Rob Verger, Popular Science, 16 Jan. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flight feather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flight feather
Cite this Entry
“Flight feather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flight%20feather. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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