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Noun: featherbedding  'fe-dhu(r),be-ding or ,fe-dhu(r)'be-ding
  1. The practice (usually by a labour union) of requiring an employer to hire more workers than are required
Verb: featherbed (featherbedded,featherbedding)  'fe-dhu(r),bed or ,fe-dhu(r)'bed
  1. Treat with excessive indulgence
    "grandparents often featherbed the children";
    - pamper, cosset, cocker [rare], baby, coddle, mollycoddle, spoil, indulge, nanny [informal]
     
  2. Hire more workers than are necessary

Derived forms: featherbeddings

Type of: do by, employ, engage, handle, hire, pattern, practice, treat

Encyclopedia: Featherbedding

Featherbed

Nearest

feather ball
feather bed
feather boa
feather duster
feather geranium
feather one's nest
feather palm
feather reed grass
feather star
featherbed
featherbedding
featherbrained
feathered
featheredge
featheredged
featherfoil
feather-foil
featheriness
feathering
featherless
featherlike