Quadrupedous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having or moving on four legs or feet
2. Possessing four limbs used for locomotion or support
3. Moving or standing on all four feet rather than two

Etymology: Latin speakers combined "quattuor," meaning four, with "pes," meaning foot, to make "quadrupes," and the adjective "quadrupedus" meant simply four-footed. English borrowed the Latin adjective directly, which is why it keeps the Latin ending "-ous" rather than the "-al" of its more common rival, quadrupedal. The same root gave English the noun "quadruped," the more familiar sibling, which names the animal itself. The adjective applies the same idea to anything with four feet or that resembles one. Like many classical compounds, it was a convenient term for naturalists and anatomists who wanted an exact, unambiguous word.

Synonyms: quadrupedal

Antonyms: bipedal