Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A lightweight corset bone originally made from the quills of domestic fowl instead of whalebone.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A substitute for whalebone, made from the quills of domestic fowls.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A substitute for whalebone, made from the quills of geese and turkeys.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • It is used to finish flannel seams and hems, fasten down linings, opened seams, and canvas facings and featherbone, in millinery -- in fact, this stitch is one of the most useful in sewing.

    Textiles and Clothing Kate Heintz Watson

  • Sew in featherbone by cat stitching to the seam, first finishing the ends by button-holing.

    Textiles and Clothing Kate Heintz Watson

  • Linings: Waist (practice materials): basting, stitching, pressing, binding, boning (whalebone, featherbone); hooks and eyes; facing; overcasting.

    The Making of a Trade School Mary Schenck Woolman

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