in phr. to show the white feather, etc.: see FEATHER sb. 1 b. Hence White-feather, one who ‘show’s the white feather,’ a coward; White-feathered a., lit. having white feathers; fig. ‘showing the white feather,’ cowardly; White-featherism (nonce-wd.), cowardice.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., *White feather, he has a white feather, he is a coward, an allusion to a game cock, where having a white feather, is a proof he is not of the true game breed.
1805. Sporting Mag., XXVI. 56. According to the boxing phrase, shewed the white feather.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, ix. ‘He has a white feather in his wing,’… said Simon,… somewhat scandalized by his ready surrender.
1825–. [see FEATHER sb. 1 b].
1857. Borrow, Romany Rye, xliii. Jack is a gentleman,… whilst t’other, though bred a lord, is a screw, and a *white-feather.
1876. Sporting Mag., XLVIII. 4. He was one of the *white-feathered sort.
1854. Poultry Chron., I. 49. All white-feathered poultry are tender, save Aylesbury ducks.
1843. [G. P. R. James], Commissioner: or De Lunatico Inq., iv. 39. That he might show as little white featherism as possible in the preliminaries, he plied him with wine during dinner.
1888. Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 5 March, 4/6. The crowd, now slightly augmented, began to murmur audibly, some of them actually accusing the Arch Anarchist of white featherism.
