🐾 Toe-walking animal 🐾 Walking on toes

digitigrade

9.9

An animal that walks on its toes, like a cat or dog

noun
/ˈdɪdʒɪtəˌɡreɪd/

Specialized

: digitígrado

Unlike bears, which are plantigrade, cheetahs are digitigrade and built for speed.

Examples

Cats are digitigrade animals that walk on their toes.
The fossil was identified as a digitigrade, suggesting it walked on its toes like modern wolves.
Dogs and cats are classic examples of digitigrade animals, moving silently on their toes.
The digitigrade stance of dogs helps them run quickly.
Dogs and cats are classic examples of digitigrade animals, moving silently on their toes.
Unlike bears, which are plantigrade, cheetahs are digitigrade and built for speed.
The digitigrade stance of dogs helps them run quickly.

Synonyms

digitigrade mammal

vsdigitigrade

Specialized

8.2

A mammal that walks on its toes, like a dog or cat

is more general and not limited to animals like dogs or cats

Antonyms

plantigrade

Specialized

9.9

Walking with the whole sole of the foot on the ground

Compounds

digitigrade mammal

Specialized

8.2

A mammal that walks on its toes, like a dog or cat

How Much Foot

plantigrade

Specialized

9.9

digitigrade

Specialized

9.9

Surface Forms

digitigrade singular

digitigrades plural

Morphology

digitigrade = digit + grade (semi-transparent) = digit + grade

The components 'digit' and 'grade' are clear, but the specific zoological meaning is not directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Digitigrade comes from the parts digit- 'toe', as in digit, and -grade 'step'. So a digitigrade is literally a 'toe-walker', an animal that walks with only its toes touching the ground.