Home › Words › N › neoptileneoptileneoptile means the down or light, fluffy feathers on a young bird.EtymologyFrom neo- + -ptile, literally "new down".nounThe down or light, fluffy feathers on a young bird.e.g.“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).” — 2012, Barn Owl Trust, Barn Owl Conservation Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Ecologists, Surveyors, Land Managers and Ornithologists:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).