To cover with feathers; to outfit or decorate with feathery material.
From 'be-' (prefix meaning to cover or provide with) + 'feather' (from Old English 'fether'). This creates a verb meaning to furnish or clothe with feathers.
The 'be-' prefix in English is like a linguistic conveyor belt—attach it to any noun and it typically means 'to cause to be' or 'to cover with,' which is why medieval writers could say 'befeather' instead of 'cover with feathers,' creating a much more poetic, economical sentence.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.