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plantigrade

[ plan-ti-greyd ]

adjective

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


noun

  1. a plantigrade animal.

plantigrade

/ ˈplæntɪˌɡreɪd /

adjective

  1. walking with the entire sole of the foot touching the ground, as, for example, man and bears
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a plantigrade animal
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

plantigrade

/ plăntĭ-grād′ /

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

  • sub·planti·grade adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of plantigrade1

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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of plantigrade1

C19: via French from New Latin plantigradus, from Latin planta sole of the foot + gradus a step
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Example Sentences

Bears are plantigrade Carnivora, but they live largely on fruit and insects.

The clavicle is rudimentary, but, as an example of the complete development of this bone in plantigrade quadrupeds, we may cite the marmoset.

The badger is a plantigrade, that is, when travelling he puts down the whole of his foot, including the heel, flat on the ground.

Now that his cub has returned he probably doesn't care for the other plantigrades of his kind.

The short feet of the penguins are quite plantigrade, in adaptation to which habit the metatarsals lie in one plane and are incompletely co-ossified, thus presenting a pseudo-primitive condition.

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plant hormonePlantin