pinniped

[pin-uh-ped]

adjective

1. belonging to the Pinnipedia, a suborder of carnivores with limbs adapted to an aquatic life, including the seals and walruses.

noun

1. a pinniped animal.

pinniped

/ ˌpɪnɪˈpiːdɪən, ˈpɪnɪˌpɛd /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Pinnipedia, an order of aquatic placental mammals having a streamlined body and limbs specialized as flippers: includes seals, sea lions, and the walrus

noun

1. any pinniped animal

pinniped

1. Any of various carnivorous, aquatic mammals of the group Pinnipedia, which some believe is a suborder of the Carnivora but others consider a separate mammalian order. Pinnipeds have long, smooth bodies and finlike flippers for swimming. Seals and walruses are pinnipeds.

Other Word Forms

• pinnipedian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinniped¹

From the New Latin word Pinnipedia, dating back to 1835–45. See pinna, -i-, -ped, -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinniped¹

C19: from New Latin pinnipēs, from Latin pinna feather, fin + pēs foot

Example Sentences

That section once held a restaurant, a public restroom building, and several sea lion viewing holes — openings in the decking used to watch the pinnipeds lolling on the crossbeams below.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As we burn fossil fuels, trapping heat that melts polar ice, the roly poly pinnipeds struggle to find sea ice to live upon.

Read more on Salon

Later that year, the pinnipeds, especially younger, smaller ones, struggled.

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A huge school of anchovies — a favored food of the pinnipeds — brought them there, Chandor said.

Read more on Seattle Times

It’s possible the creatures were giant squids, or pinnipeds, like seals or sea lions.

Read more on National Geographic