quadruped
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quadruped
1640–50; < Latin quadruped- (stem of quadrupēs ), equivalent to quadru- quadru- + -ped- -ped
Compare meaning
How does quadruped compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A squirrel, a zebra, a deer, a wolf, and a grizzly bear meet in a field. Yes, a disaster in the making, but also a bunch of quadrupeds — animals that walk on four feet. Cut quadruped in half and it makes sense: quadru means four, like when a woman births four babies they are called quadruplets. And –ped is for the feet: think of centipedes and millipedes, insects that have so many feet it’s disturbing. A human is a biped because they walk on two feet. If you meet a human with four feet, you could call him a quadruped. You could also call the circus and let them know their quadruped is loose.
Vocabulary lists containing quadruped
40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
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Body Language: Ped, Pod ("Foot")
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"Ode to the Table" by Pablo Neruda
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many were taking selfies with a three-metre-tall Unitree GD01, a towering rideable robot the firm says can switch between bi- and quadruped settings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Federal Communications Commission banned new foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
It cites State Grid’s 6.8 billion yuan order for 500 humanoid robots, 3,000 dual-arm robots and 5,000 quadruped robots as an example.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Some firms, external have also been working to weaponise dog-like quadruped robots, though we haven't seen them too much in active warfare yet notes Fankhauser.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
Forefoot, fōr′foot, n. one of the anterior feet of a quadruped.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
