Plain English Meaning

Turning the propeller blades sideways to the wind so they slice through the air instead of catching it. This stops the propeller from spinning and greatly reduces drag after an engine quits or is shut down.

Full Definition

Rotating the blades of a variable-pitch propeller to an edge-on angle relative to the oncoming airflow so the blades produce minimal drag and the propeller stops rotating. Feathering is used when an engine is shut down or has failed in flight, primarily on multi-engine airplanes and certain single-engine aircraft equipped with feathering propellers.

Context Anchor

Seen in engine-out, glide, and power-off approach discussions, especially when comparing how much drag different propeller positions create.