Feather vs. Leaf — What's the Difference?

Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on dinosaurs, both avian (bird) and some non-avian (non-bird) and possibly other archosauromorphs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty.

A leaf (plural leaves) is the principal lateral appendage of the vascular plant stem, usually borne above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. The leaves, stem, flower and fruit together form the shoot system.

One of the light, flat structures growing from the skin of birds, consisting of numerous slender, closely arranged parallel barbs forming a vane on either side of a horny, tapering, partly hollow shaft.

A usually green, flattened, lateral structure attached to a stem and functioning as a principal organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in most plants.

A feathery tuft or fringe of hair, as on the legs or tail of some dogs.

A leaflike organ or structure.

Character, kind, or nature

Leaves considered as a group; foliage.

A strip, wedge, or flange used as a strengthening part.

The state or time of having or showing leaves

A wedge or key that fits into a groove to make a joint.

The leaves of a plant used or processed for a specific purpose

The vane of an arrow.

Any of the sheets of paper bound in a book, each side of which constitutes a page.

A feather-shaped flaw, as in a precious stone.

A very thin sheet of material, especially metal.

The wake made by a submarine's periscope.

Such leaves considered as a group

The act of feathering the blade of an oar in rowing.

A hinged or removable section for a table top.

To cover, dress, or decorate with feathers or featherlike projections.

A hinged or otherwise movable section of a folding door, shutter, or gate.

To fit (an arrow) with a feather.

A section of drawbridge that moves upward or to the side.

To thin, reduce, or fringe the edge of (wood, for example) by cutting, shaving, or making thinner.

One of several metal strips forming a leaf spring.

To spread (paint, for example) thinly at the edges so as to blend with the surrounding area.

To produce leaves; put forth foliage

To shorten and taper (hair) by cutting and thinning.

To turn pages, as in searching or browsing

To blur or soften the edge of (an image).

To turn through the pages of.

To apply (a brake, throttle, or other control) gently or slightly and steadily.

The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.

To turn (an oar blade) almost horizontal as it is carried back after each stroke.

Anything resembling the leaf of a plant.

To alter the pitch of (a propeller) so that the chords of the blades are parallel with the line of flight.

A sheet of a book, magazine, etc (consisting of two pages, one on each face of the leaf).

To alter the pitch of (the rotor of a helicopter) while in forward flight.

A sheet of any substance beaten or rolled until very thin.

To turn off (an aircraft engine) while in flight.

Two pages.

To grow feathers or become feathered.

(in the plural) Tea leaves.

To move, spread, or grow in a manner suggestive of feathers

A flat section used to extend the size of a table.

To become thin or less dense at the edges

A moveable panel, e.g. of a bridge or door, originally one that hinged but now also applied to other forms of movement.

To feather an oar.

(botany) A foliage leaf or any of the many and often considerably different structures it can specialise into.

To feather a propeller.

In a tree, a node that has no descendants.

A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display.

The layer of fat supporting the kidneys of a pig, leaf fat.

Long hair on the lower legs of a dog or horse, especially a draft horse, notably the Clydesdale breed. Narrowly only the rear hair.

One of the teeth of a pinion, especially when small.

One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow.

Cannabis.

A longitudinal strip projecting from an object to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in another object and thereby prevent displacement sideways but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.

A Canadian person.

Kind; nature; species (from the proverbial phrase "birds of a feather").

(intransitive) To produce leaves; put forth foliage.

One of the two shims of the three-piece stone-splitting tool known as plug and feather or plug and feathers; the feathers are placed in a borehole and then a wedge is driven between them, causing the stone to split.

(transitive) To divide (a vegetable) into separate leaves.

The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water.

A colored, usually green, expansion growing from the side of a stem or rootstock, in which the sap for the use of the plant is elaborated under the influence of light; one of the parts of a plant which collectively constitute its foliage.

Anything petty or trifling; a whit or jot.

A special organ of vegetation in the form of a lateral outgrowth from the stem, whether appearing as a part of the foliage, or as a cotyledon, a scale, a bract, a spine, or a tendril.

Partridges and pheasants, as opposed to rabbits and hares (called fur).

Something which is like a leaf in being wide and thin and having a flat surface, or in being attached to a larger body by one edge or end;

(rail) A junction indicator attached to a colour-light signal at an angle, which lights up, typically with four white lights in a row, when a diverging route is set up.

To shoot out leaves; to produce leaves; to leave; as, the trees leaf in May.

To cover or furnish with feathers; to fletch.

The main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

To adorn, as if with feathers; to fringe.

A sheet of any written or printed material (especially in a manuscript or book)

To arrange in the manner or appearance of feathers.

Hinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door)

To rotate the oars while they are out of the water to reduce wind resistance.

Look through a book or other written material;

(aeronautics) To streamline the blades of an aircraft's propeller by rotating them perpendicular to the axis of the propeller when the engine is shut down so that the propeller does not windmill during flight.

Turn over pages;

To finely shave or bevel an edge.

Produce leaves, of plants

(computer graphics) To intergrade or blend the pixels of an image with those of a background or neighboring image.

(intransitive) Of written or printed ink: to take on a blurry appearance as a result of spreading through the receiving medium.

(transitive) To render light as a feather; to give wings to.

(transitive) To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.

(transitive) To tread, as a cockerel.

To move the cue back and forth along the bridge in preparation for striking the cue ball.

To accidentally touch the cue ball with the tip of the cue when taking aim.

(transitive) To touch lightly, like (or as if with) a feather.

(transitive) To move softly, like a feather.

One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds, belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down.

Kind; nature; species; - from the proverbial phrase, "Birds of a feather," that is, of the same species.

The fringe of long hair on the legs of the setter and some other dogs.

A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on a horse.

One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow.

A longitudinal strip projecting as a fin from an object, to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in another object and thereby prevent displacement sidwise but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.

A thin wedge driven between the two semicylindrical parts of a divided plug in a hole bored in a stone, to rend the stone.

The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water.

To furnish with a feather or feathers, as an arrow or a cap.

To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe.

To render light as a feather; to give wings to.

To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.

To tread, as a cock.

To grow or form feathers; to become feathered; - often with out; as, the birds are feathering out.

To curdle when poured into another liquid, and float about in little flakes or "feathers;" as, the cream feathers.

To turn to a horizontal plane; - said of oars.

To have the appearance of a feather or of feathers; to be or to appear in feathery form.

The light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

Turning an oar parallel to the water between pulls

Join tongue and groove, in carpentry

Cover or fit with feathers

Turn the paddle; in canoeing

Turn the oar, while rowing

Grow feathers;