: 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 alsoduck-billed platypus
Illustration of platypus
Examples of platypus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAnd both echidnas and platypuses are considered monotremes.—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2024 The show itself, which also features a superspy platypus, maintains this sense of optimism and humor throughout.—Ew Staff, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2024 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
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.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek platypous flat-footed, from platys broad, flat + pous foot — more at place, foot
: 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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