white feather
noun Chiefly British.
a symbol of cowardice.
Idioms for white feather
show the white feather,
to behave in a cowardly manner.
Origin of white feather
First recorded in 1775–85; orig. from a white feather in a gamecock's tail, taken as a sign of inferior breeding and hence of poor fighting qualities
Words nearby white feather
white damp,
white dwarf,
white elephant,
white ensign,
white false hellebore,
white feather,
white fiber,
white finger,
white fir,
white fish,
white flag
British Dictionary definitions for show the white feather
white feather
noun
a symbol or mark of cowardice
show the white feather
to act in a cowardly manner
Word Origin for white feather
from the belief that a white feather in a gamecock's tail was a sign of a poor fighter
Idioms and Phrases with show the white feather (1 of 2)
show the white feather
Display cowardice, as in The minute Bob put up his fists, Bill showed the white feather and backed down. This expression comes from cockfighting, where a white feather in a bird's tail is considered a sign of inferior breeding. [Early 1800s]
Idioms and Phrases with show the white feather (2 of 2)
white feather
see show the white feather.