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View synonyms for
contour feather
noun
Ornithology.
- one of the feathers that form the surface plumage of a bird, including those of the wings and tail but excluding such specialized types as downs and filoplumes.
contour feather
noun
- any of the feathers that cover the body of an adult bird, apart from the wings and tail, and determine its shape
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51Թ History and Origins
Origin of contour feather1
First recorded in 1865–70
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Example Sentences
Examples have not been reviewed.
"However, it could be a covert or a contour feather, especially since the latter are not well known in Archaeopteryx."
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Sleek contour feathers over thick down, pearls of water running over white feathers thick and curled as paper sculpture.
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He was so close she could hear his contour feathers buzz in the wind.
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The down-feathers are generally completely hidden by the contour feathers: they form in many birds, such as gulls and ducks, a thick underclothing comparable to the under-fur of mammals such as the seals.
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Most of the down and contour feathers were removed to allow the preservative to reach the skin.
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