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The quadrupeds include almost all the mammals. (Among the exceptions are whales, bats, and humans.) The Greek equivalent of this Latin word is tetrapod. However, the two are not identical, since the tetrapod classification includes bipeds such as birds, in which two of the limbs are no longer used for walking. Insects all have six legs, of course, and in the sea there are eight-legged octopods (including the octopus). But there are no animals of any kind with an odd number of legs.
Examples of quadruped in a Sentence
Horses and cows are quadrupeds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Collaborative acts featured human performers dancing alongside Agibot’s G2 humanoid robots and D1 quadruped robots, highlighting real-time motion alignment between people and machines.
—
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Start from a quadruped position (on all fours) with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Since August, Alcedo says Youmanoids has sold about 60 quadruped robots and roughly 10 humanoid robots, primarily from Chinese manufacturers.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Downward Dog Start in a quadruped position.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
The system combines a quadruped robot equipped with a quadrupole mass spectrometer and a modular autonomy stack, enabling long-distance missions in rough volcanic terrain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Jan. 2026
The company also released D1, a quadruped robot built for outdoor mobility, patrol, and load-carrying support.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
The quadruped is currently deployed at car manufacturing sites and in hazardous industrial areas around the world.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
More Kent Nishimura/AP A robotic quadruped, also known as a robot dog, during the US Army's 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC, US, on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025
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Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Start from a quadruped position (on all fours) with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Since August, Alcedo says Youmanoids has sold about 60 quadruped robots and roughly 10 humanoid robots, primarily from Chinese manufacturers.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Downward Dog Start in a quadruped position.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
The system combines a quadruped robot equipped with a quadrupole mass spectrometer and a modular autonomy stack, enabling long-distance missions in rough volcanic terrain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Jan. 2026
The company also released D1, a quadruped robot built for outdoor mobility, patrol, and load-carrying support.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
The quadruped is currently deployed at car manufacturing sites and in hazardous industrial areas around the world.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
More Kent Nishimura/AP A robotic quadruped, also known as a robot dog, during the US Army's 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC, US, on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quadruped.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadruped. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quadruped
noun
quad·ru·ped
ˈkwäd-rə-ˌped 
: an animal having four feet
Medical Definition
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