unfeather

A farmer unfeathers a chicken in the yard.

Definition

Verb (transitive): - To remove feathers from: "unfeather" means to strip or pluck the feathers from a bird.

Usage Examples

• (Remove the feathers from the chicken.)
• (Pluck the feathers from hunted birds.)

Advanced Usage

• "to unfeather a bird": the standard and only common use of the word.
  • The taxidermist carefully unfeathered the specimen to prepare the skin. (Removed feathers from the dead bird for preservation.)

Variants and Related Words

• Unfeathering (present participle/gerund): the act of removing feathers.
  • The process of unfeathering requires patience and skill. (The act of plucking feathers.)
• Unfeathered (adjective): having had feathers removed; without feathers.
  • The unfeathered bird looked small and vulnerable. (The bird with its feathers removed.)

Synonyms

• Pluck: to remove feathers by pulling.
• Defeather: a less common synonym meaning the same as "unfeather."

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms exist for "unfeather," as it is a rare, technical word.)

Phrasal Verbs

• (No phrasal verbs are formed with "unfeather," as it is a standalone verb.)