What is "to feather an oar"

Feather \Feath"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Feathered; p. pr. & vb. n. Feathering.]

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

   An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow feathered from her own wing.
   --L'Estrange.

2. To adorn, as with feathers; to fringe.

   A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow ravines.
   --Sir W. Scott.

3. To render light as a feather; to give wings to.[R.]

   The Polonian story perhaps may feather some tedious hours.
   --Loveday.

4. To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.

   They stuck not to say that the king cared not to plume his nobility and people to feather himself.
   --Bacon.
   --Dryden.

5. To tread, as a cock.
   --Dryden.

   To feather one's nest, to provide for one's self especially from property belonging to another, confided to one's care; -- an expression taken from the practice of birds which collect feathers for the lining of their nests.

   To feather an oar (Naut), to turn it when it leaves the water so that the blade will be horizontal and offer the least resistance to air while reaching for another stroke.

   To tar and feather a person, to smear him with tar and cover him with feathers, as a punishment or an indignity.