platypus

noun

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platy·pus | \ ˈpla-ti-pəs

, -ˌpu̇s

plural platypuses also platypi\ ˈpla-ti-ˌpī

, -ˌpē \

Definition of platypus

: 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 Some people see a platypus, some people see a frog, and some people see this strange human. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, "Craig Green Reveals a New Moncler Genius Collection: “Everything We Were Thinking About Was Linked to Nature”," 13 Apr. 2021 The scientists think Orretherium tzen cohabited with Magallanodon baikashkenke, which was thought to have been an evolutionary step between a platypus or marsupial, and dinosaurs such as the long-necked titanosaur. — NBC News, "Beast of five teeth: Scientists unearth skunk that walked among dinosaurs," 9 Apr. 2021 The springhare — whose coat glows a patchy pinkish-orange under UV light — joins the platypus and other mammals with this perplexing trait. — New York Times, "Meet the Newest Member of the Fluorescent Mammal Club," 18 Feb. 2021 Two centuries later, the platypus continues to astound scientists. — Animals, "Platypuses are increasingly threatened, scientists say," 30 Dec. 2020 The platypus’s native predators include big fish such as Murray cod, birds of prey and dingos. — National Geographic, "We knew platypuses were incredible. Now we know they glow, too," 11 Nov. 2020 The assessment echoes troubling findings reported earlier this year, which projected that the platypus population could decline between 47 and 66 percent by 2070. — Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, "Platypuses Lost 22% of Their Habitat Over Last 30 Years," 25 Nov. 2020 As noted in the journal Mammalia, shining an ultraviolet light on a platypus makes the animal’s fur fluoresce with a greenish-blue tint. — Cara Giaimo New York Times, Star Tribune, "Platypuses glow under blacklight. We have no idea why.," 21 Nov. 2020 As noted last month in the journal Mammalia, shining an ultraviolet light on a platypus makes the animal’s fur fluoresce with a greenish-blue tint. — Cara Giaimo, New York Times, "Platypuses Glow Under Blacklight. We Have No Idea Why.," 13 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'platypus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.