quadruped
UK[ˈkwɒdrʊped]US[ˈkwɑːdrəˌped]
n
an animal that has four feet
Morpheme Breakdown
quadru
ped
quadru
four
ped
foot
Etymology
the word quadruped is a direct borrowing from latin quadrupes, quadruped-, which is itself a compound of quadru- (a variant of quattuor, "four") and pes, ped- ("foot"). the latin term was used literally to describe any four-footed creature. entering english in the 17th century, it retained this precise zoological meaning, providing a formal, descriptive label distinct from more general terms like "animal." its logic is transparently anatomical, classifying creatures based on the literal count of their limbs.
Analysis
Structure: quadru (four) + ped (foot)
- quadru: from latin quadru-, a combining form of quattuor meaning "four".
- ped: from latin ped-, pes meaning "foot".
Examples
dogs, cats, and horses are all examples of quadruped mammals.
the fossil record shows that the early ancestor was a small quadruped.
in the diagram, the skeleton of a quadruped is compared to that of a biped.