contour feather

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contour feather

n.
Any of the outermost feathers of a bird, forming the visible body contour and plumage.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

contour feather

n
(Zoology) any of the feathers that cover the body of an adult bird, apart from the wings and tail, and determine its shape
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con′tour feath`er


n.
one of the feathers that form the surface plumage of a bird including those of the wings and tail.
[1865–70]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.contour feather - feathers covering the body of an adult bird and determining its shapecontour feather - feathers covering the body of an adult bird and determining its shape
feather, plumage, plume - the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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References in periodicals archive
We extracted and amplified DNA from contour feather calami according to the techniques of Jensen et al.
Morphometric tools for sexing loggerhead shrikes in California
In goose, all primary (generating contour feather) and few secondary feather follicles (generating down feather) formed completely during embryonic stage, but the former was formed 5-6 d earlier than the later.
Characterization of embryonic feather follicle development in the Chinese indigenous Jilin white Goose
`I can see his tongue, a pointed, triangular affair, working the plumes into the svelte vanes that form each contour feather ...
Let a sparrow brighten a dreary day
Birds have two types of advanced feathers used in flight and for body smoothing, the contour feathers with a hollow quill and barbs down both sides.
Origin of Feathers Pushed Back 70 Million Years
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