quadruped
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- quadrupedal adjective
- quadrupedism noun
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.
Nomura expects Ubtech Robotics, Unitree and other Chinese robotic companies to produce a total of 110,000 to 200,000 humanoid and quadruped robots next year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025
"Our bio-inspired learning architecture demonstrated state-of-the-art quadruped robot agility on the challenging terrain," Shafiee says.
From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2024
China’s Unitree Robotics this year launched GO1, the world’s first intelligent quadruped robot.
From Washington Times • Dec. 24, 2023
At a standstill in the two-hour standoff, cops deployed their robotic quadruped to sniff out the situation, according to Ohana.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2023
Among his other exploits was a demonstration that a chain, in which no link is missing, connects the horse with a small, extinct quadruped possessed of comparatively few equine peculiarities.
From Liberty In The Nineteenth Century by Holland, Frederic May
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.
