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
And just what is this cosmic platypus, this something in the sky that should not be there?
—
John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
This group includes living mammals that lay eggs like the platypus called monotremes.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024
Consider, for instance, the lungfish or the platypus.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Typically, a platypus outside of captivity may only live between 10 and 12 years.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
Featuring entries dedicated to the abominable snowman and Nandi bears alongside examinations of platypuses and gorillas, Heuvelmans’s book celebrates the potential of a world teeming with creatures the scientific record has not yet ossified into fact.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 18 Jan. 2024
There are only five existing species of monotremes: the platypus and four species of echidna.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023
Fluorescent anatomy, which recently seemed to be a quirk in unusual animals such as platypuses and opossums, was found in most living families of mammals.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Only five living monotremes exist: four echidna species and the platypus.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
This group includes living mammals that lay eggs like the platypus called monotremes.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024
Consider, for instance, the lungfish or the platypus.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Typically, a platypus outside of captivity may only live between 10 and 12 years.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
Featuring entries dedicated to the abominable snowman and Nandi bears alongside examinations of platypuses and gorillas, Heuvelmans’s book celebrates the potential of a world teeming with creatures the scientific record has not yet ossified into fact.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 18 Jan. 2024
There are only five existing species of monotremes: the platypus and four species of echidna.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023
Fluorescent anatomy, which recently seemed to be a quirk in unusual animals such as platypuses and opossums, was found in most living families of mammals.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Only five living monotremes exist: four echidna species and the platypus.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
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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Cite this Entry
“Platypus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platypus. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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