plantigrade

American  

[plan-ti-greyd] / ˈplæn tɪˌgreɪd /

adjective

1. walking on the whole sole of the foot, as humans and bears.

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noun

1. a plantigrade animal.

plantigrade British  

/ ˈplæntɪˌɡreɪd /

adjective

1. walking with the entire sole of the foot touching the ground, as, for example, man and bears

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noun

1. a plantigrade animal

plantigrade Scientific  

/ plăn′tĭ-grād′ /

1. Walking with the entire sole of the foot on the ground, as humans, bears, raccoons, and rabbits.

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Other Word Forms

• subplantigrade adjective

Etymology

Origin of plantigrade

First recorded in 1825–35; from French plantigrade (noun), from New Latin plantigradus, equivalent to Latin plant(a) “sole of the foot” + -i- + -gradus; -i-, -grade

Example Sentences

A most comfortably clad set of plantigrade creatures, as fond, most of them, of fruits as they are of flesh.

From Heads and Tales : or, Anecdotes and Stories of Quadrupeds and Other Beasts, Chiefly Connected with Incidents in the Histories of More or Less Distinguished Men. by White, Adam

Was the enormous plantigrade hit by the bullet?

From Godfrey Morgan A Californian Mystery by Verne, Jules

His capacity of raising himself erect gives him this advantage; and from his great plantigrade posterior paws, combined with his powerful muscular legs, he can pitch forward with a velocity surprising as it is unexpected.

From Bruin The Grand Bear Hunt by Zwecker, Johann Baptist

The plantigrade pentadactyl foot of the primitive Ungulate—and even the perissodactyl foot that succeeded it—both belong to the past humid period of the world’s history.

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

Like them it possesses an omnivorous appetite, is plantigrade, and hibernates during cold weather.

From Fur Farming A book of Information about Fur Bearing Animals, Enclosures, Habits, Care, etc. by Harding, A. R. (Arthur Robert)