ptilo-|pt-, tɪləʊ|before a vowel ptil-, combining form of Gr. πτίλον a soft feather, a plumelet.ˈptilocerque|-sɜːk|Zool.[Gr. κέρκος tail], an elephant shrew of the genus Ptilocercus, having a long tail with distichous hairs towards the end; the pen-tailed shrew. ptiloˈgenesis, the genesis or growth of feathers (Syd. Soc.Lex. 1895). ˈptiloliteMin.[see -lite], ‘hydrous silicate of aluminum, calcium, and potassium, found in delicate tufts made up of short capillary crystals’ (Chester). ptilopædic|-ˈpiːdɪk|a.Ornith.[Gr. παῖς, παιδ- child + -ic], of birds: hatched with a complete covering of down.1895Funk's Standard Dict., *Ptilocerque.1886Amer.Jrnl.Sc.Ser. iii. XXXII. 118 *Ptilolite, derived from πτίλον, down, in reference to the light, downy nature of its aggregates.1887Min.Mag. VII. 115 Ptilolite is gradually decomposed by strong sulphuric acid.1884Coues Key N. Amer. Birds (ed. 2) 88 Probably all præcocial birds are also *ptilopædic, and all psilopædic birds altricial, but..many altrices, as hawks and owls, [are] also ptilopædic.1885Athenæum 1 Aug. 146/2 The rails and cranes, the typical members of which are præcocial and ptilopædic.
ptilo-/ˈtɪləʊ, ˈtʌɪləʊ/combining form of Greek ptilon downy feather: see -o-.