<jargon> (A sick contrivance from the Unix tar command and
the Ku Klux Klan torture method) To create a transportable
archive from a group of files by first sticking them together
with tar (the Tape ARchiver) and then compressing the
result. The latter action is dubbed "feathering" (purely for
contrived effect) by analogy to what you do with an aeroplane
propeller to decrease wind resistance, or with an oar to
reduce water resistance; smaller files, after all, slip
through comm links more easily.
[Jargon File]
(1997-05-26)
Nearby terms:
Tape Operating System « TAPI « tar « tar and feather » tarball » targa » Targa Graphics Adaptor
