digitigrade

American  

[dij-i-ti-greyd] / ˈdɪdʒ ɪ tɪˌgreɪd /

adjective

1. walking on the toes, as most quadruped mammals.

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noun

1. a digitigrade animal.

digitigrade British  

/ ˈdɪdʒɪtɪˌɡreɪd /

adjective

1. (of dogs, cats, horses, etc) walking so that only the toes touch the ground

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noun

1. a digitigrade animal

Etymology

Origin of digitigrade

From French, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at digiti-, -grade

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digitigrade

Top The much persecuted otter presents himself to our notice among the worm-bodied, digitigrade animals.

From Anecdotes of the Habits and Instinct of Animals by Weir, Harrison

Sem′i-pellū′cid, imperfectly transparent; Sem′ipen′niform, half-penniform; Sem′i-per′fect, nearly perfect; Sem′i-pis′cine, half-fish; Sem′i-plant′igrade, incompletely plantigrade: partly digitigrade; Sem′i-plas′tic, imperfectly plastic.—ns.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

For the majority of mammals are what has been called digitigrade.

From Darwin, and After Darwin (Vol. 1 and 3, of 3) An Exposition of the Darwinian Theory and a Discussion of Post-Darwinian Questions by Romanes, George John

Bears, furthermore, have five digits on each foot and are plantigrade, while dogs have but four toes behind and are digitigrade.

From American Big Game in Its Haunts by Various

Limbs short, partially digitigrade, with the feet rounded and the toes short, with compressed, acute, semi-retractile claws.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various