Downy describes something covered with or made of soft, fluffy fibers, like the fine feathers on a baby duck or the fuzzy surface of a peach. When you touch something downy, it feels light, gentle, and almost cloud-like against your skin.

The word comes from down, the incredibly soft layer of feathers that grows close to a bird's body, underneath the larger, stiffer feathers you can see. Geese and ducks have especially warm, fluffy down that traps air and keeps them warm even in freezing water. People collect this down to stuff pillows and winter coats because it's so light and insulating.

A downy blanket feels soft and plush. A dandelion gone to seed has a downy white puff that kids love to blow into the wind. Even human hair, when it's very fine and soft like a baby's, can be described as downy. The word always suggests something gentle and pleasant to touch, not rough or coarse.

You might also encounter the downy woodpecker, a small black-and-white bird named for its soft-looking feathers. It's one of the smallest woodpeckers in North America, about the size of a sparrow, and you can often spot one tapping on tree bark in search of insects.