white feather
Sign of fear
A white feather is a symbol of cowardice, from the belief that a white feather in a gamecock's tail indicated poor breeding and a bird likely to flee rather than fight.
During World War I, women in Britain gave white feathers to men not in uniform to shame them into enlisting.
To show the white feather is to display cowardice.
Cease resistance, yield
- desertionUnlawful abandonment of duty
- conscriptionMandatory military enrollment
- yellowHue between green and orange
- timidityFearful lack of courage
spinelessness · shame · disgrace · dishonor · retreating · fleeing · weakness · pusillanimity
Gentle cooing bird
- pacifismAntiwar moral stance
- truceAgreed halt to hostilities
- ceasefireAgreed halt to fighting
- armisticeAgreement to cease hostilities
reconciliation · olive branch · diplomacy · nonviolence · harmony · serenity · accord · conciliation
Having soft, fine texture
- fluffySoft and light-textured
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- gossamerFilmy, delicate material
- wispyThin and insubstantial
ethereal · lightness · airiness · silky · tender · gentle · plume · quill
Freedom from wrongdoing
- virginityAbsence of carnal experience
- chastityAbstaining from sexual activity
- unblemishedFree from any defect
- immaculateCompletely without blemish
spotless · angelic · sanctity · cleanliness · untainted · pristine · holiness · maiden
surrender
Cease resistance, yield
- desertionUnlawful abandonment of duty
- conscriptionMandatory military enrollment
- yellowHue between green and orange
timidity · spinelessness · shame · disgrace · dishonor · retreating · fleeing · weakness · pusillanimity · faintheartedness
dove
Gentle cooing bird
armistice · reconciliation · olive branch · diplomacy · nonviolence · harmony · serenity · accord · conciliation · détente
downy
Having soft, fine texture
wispy · ethereal · lightness · airiness · silky · tender · gentle · plume · quill · diaphanous
innocence
Freedom from wrongdoing
- virginityAbsence of carnal experience
- chastityAbstaining from sexual activity
- unblemishedFree from any defect
immaculate · spotless · angelic · sanctity · cleanliness · untainted · pristine · holiness · maiden · virtue
angel
Divine winged messenger
departed · guardian · blessing · afterlife · visitation · comfort · sign · remembrance · loved one · heaven
- lucky charmslucky horseshoe, rabbit foot, lucky coin, four leaf clover, good luck charm
- cowardicecoward, cowardly, craven, gutless, spineless
- shame symbolsscarlet letter, dunce cap, pillory, stockade, yellow star
- omensomens, omen, portent, portents, signs
- cowardscoward, chicken, wimp, milquetoast, poltroon
- timiditybashfulness, shyness, timidness, timorousness, meekness
white featherbravery
Boldness before danger
courage · valor · heroism · gallantry · fearlessness
white feathermedal
Metal honor token
Victoria Cross · Medal of Honor · military decoration · war medal · commendation
white, feather, feathers, feathery, whiten, whitish, whites, feathered, whiteness