What does the term "feathering" refer to in selection?

Feathering refers to the process of softening the edges of a selection in Photoshop. When you apply feathering, you create a blur effect at the boundary of the selection, which results in smoother transitions between the selected and unselected areas. This technique is useful in various editing scenarios, such as when you want to blend a selected object with its background or to create more natural-looking cutouts. By adjusting the feather radius, you can control how much of the selected area is softened, allowing for greater control over the final appearance of your image.