tetrapod

noun

tet·​ra·​pod ˈte-trə-ˌpäd 

: a vertebrate (such as an amphibian, a bird, or a mammal) with two pairs of limbs

Did you know?

The earliest tetrapods, or "four-footed" animals, were mammal-like reptiles that evolved before the rise of the dinosaurs and ranged from mouse-sized to cow-sized. Today the tetrapods include the reptiles, the amphibians, the birds, and the mammals—including humans. Though the fish aren't classified as tetrapods, it's quite possible that our own limbs began as paired fins hundreds of millions of years ago.

Examples of tetrapod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prehistoric heron The researchers point out that all large-bodied secondarily aquatic tetrapods like whales, mosasaurs, or plesiosaurs, are marine. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Mar. 2026

Scientists long believed that stem tetrapods largely disappeared after a major ecological event known as the Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse. —Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026

Most stem tetrapods went extinct long before Tanyka lived. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026

Nine twisted jawbones found near the Amazon are pushing scientists to reconsider how long primitive tetrapods survived — and whether southern Pangaea served as a refuge after their relatives in the north went extinct. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin tetrapodus, from Greek tetrapod-, tetrapous four-footed, from tetra- + pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

circa 1891, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tetrapod

• amphipod
• arthropod
• copepod
• decapod
• endopod
• escalade
• esplanade
• exopod
• gastropod
• goldenrod
• isopod
• overawed