Illustration of platypus
platypus
noun
platy·pus
ˈpla-ti-pəs 
-ˌpu̇s
-ˌpu̇s
plural platypuses also platypi
ˈpla-ti-ˌpī
-ˌpē
: a small carnivorous aquatic monotreme mammal (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) of eastern Australia and Tasmania that has a fleshy bill resembling that of a duck, dense fur, webbed feet, and a broad flattened tail
called also duck-billed platypus
Examples of platypus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Phase 2 is the standing process with slightly longer prosthetics with no knee but with a longer and wider foot like a platypus.
—
Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Here’s a breakdown of each of the platypus’s biological marvels, according to research.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Every mammal gives birth to live young, except for a handful of egg-laying monotremes like the platypus.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
Dobson, a researcher at Ghent University, challenged that assumption using high-resolution microscopy to examine melanosomes in platypus hair.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platypus
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Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Here’s a breakdown of each of the platypus’s biological marvels, according to research.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Every mammal gives birth to live young, except for a handful of egg-laying monotremes like the platypus.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
Dobson, a researcher at Ghent University, challenged that assumption using high-resolution microscopy to examine melanosomes in platypus hair.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for platypus
Cite this Entry
“Platypus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platypus. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
platypus
noun
platy·pus
ˈplat-i-pəs
-ˌpu̇s
-ˌpu̇s
plural platypuses also platypi
-ˌpī
-ˌpē
: a small water-dwelling egg-laying mammal of eastern Australia and Tasmania with a fleshy bill resembling that of a duck, webbed feet, and a broad flattened tail
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