White-feather meaning
A sign of cowardice.
noun
An indication of cowardice.
noun
show the white feather
- To act like a coward.
idiom
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Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
show the white feather
Origin of white-feather
- From the belief that a gamecock with a white feather in its tail was a poor fighter
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition