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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
The company has also hinted at plans to bring Atlas and Spot, Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot, to the World Cup, although their exact role has not been revealed.
—
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Other applications might include robotics, such as adaptive robotic quadrupeds.
—Shirl Leigh
may 22, New Atlas, 22 May 2026
The kind that a cute fuzzy quadruped might handle better than an obviously robotic humanoid.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 5 May 2026
Interdiction of humans, that is, not quadrupeds.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 Mar. 2026
These mechanical quadrupeds, made by the likes of Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics, can patrol premises, scanning the perimeter for intruders, spies, and other ne’er-do-wells, and sound the alarm when holes in fences or other suspicious things are detected.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Prices typically range from about $5,000 for quadrupeds to $20,000 for humanoids.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Ghost Robotics is today announcing a major upgrade for their Vision 60 quadruped: an arm.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2025
The quadruped is currently deployed at car manufacturing sites and in hazardous industrial areas around the world.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
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Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Other applications might include robotics, such as adaptive robotic quadrupeds.
—Shirl Leigh
may 22, New Atlas, 22 May 2026
The kind that a cute fuzzy quadruped might handle better than an obviously robotic humanoid.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 5 May 2026
Interdiction of humans, that is, not quadrupeds.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 Mar. 2026
These mechanical quadrupeds, made by the likes of Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics, can patrol premises, scanning the perimeter for intruders, spies, and other ne’er-do-wells, and sound the alarm when holes in fences or other suspicious things are detected.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Prices typically range from about $5,000 for quadrupeds to $20,000 for humanoids.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Ghost Robotics is today announcing a major upgrade for their Vision 60 quadruped: an arm.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2025
The quadruped is currently deployed at car manufacturing sites and in hazardous industrial areas around the world.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quadruped.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadruped. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quadruped
noun
quad·ru·ped
ˈkwäd-rə-ˌped 
: an animal having four feet
Medical Definition
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