contour feather: Meaning and Definition of

con'tour feath"er

Pronunciation: [key]
— Ornith. Ornith.
  1. one of the feathers that form the surface plumage of a bird, including those of the wings and tail but excluding such specialized types as downs and filoplumes.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.