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
Eventually, after years of study and intense debate, the platypus was classified as a type of primitive mammal known as a monotreme.
—
Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
While not particularly aggressive, if sufficiently provoked, a platypus can sting.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Biologists collected the platypuses from various populations in southeastern New South Wales to help ensure genetic diversity.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2023
Meanwhile, Qatar, Turkey, and half of Libya have banded together out of mutual sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood—a bizarre platypus of a military alliance with little to strategically bind them.
—Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
Visitors can spot magnificent wildlife here, including its namesake kangaroo, plus koalas, seals, and platypus, to name a few.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2023
Each platypus will be tracked for the next two years to better understand how to intervene and relocate the species in the event of drought, bushfire, or flood, researchers said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 15 May 2023
The platypus spur is almost an inch long and wickedly pointed and curved, resembling a much-thickened rattlesnake fang.
—Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
And then European explorers encountered the platypus, a mammal that laid eggs.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2011
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Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
While not particularly aggressive, if sufficiently provoked, a platypus can sting.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Biologists collected the platypuses from various populations in southeastern New South Wales to help ensure genetic diversity.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2023
Meanwhile, Qatar, Turkey, and half of Libya have banded together out of mutual sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood—a bizarre platypus of a military alliance with little to strategically bind them.
—Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
Visitors can spot magnificent wildlife here, including its namesake kangaroo, plus koalas, seals, and platypus, to name a few.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2023
Each platypus will be tracked for the next two years to better understand how to intervene and relocate the species in the event of drought, bushfire, or flood, researchers said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 15 May 2023
The platypus spur is almost an inch long and wickedly pointed and curved, resembling a much-thickened rattlesnake fang.
—Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
And then European explorers encountered the platypus, a mammal that laid eggs.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2011
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'platypus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Platypus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platypus. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on platypus
Nglish: Translation of platypus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about platypus
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