neoptile

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English

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Etymology

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From neo- +‎ -ptile, literally "new down".

Noun

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neoptile (uncountable)

  1. The down or light, fluffy feathers on a young bird.
    • 2012, Barn Owl Trust, Barn Owl Conservation Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Ecologists, Surveyors, Land Managers and Ornithologists:
      Newly hatched young are naked and pink, but within a few days a short white down known as the neoptile unfolds from the skin (Kniprath & Stier 2008).
    • 2017 June 28, Hanneke Meijer, The Guardian[1]:
      Among the neoptile feathers occur isolated bristle-like filaments, whose origin and function are unclear.

Anagrams

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