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
The amphibious platypus spends much of its time in the water, while the echidna, often called a spiny anteater, is at home on land.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Between backward-facing-feet, nipple-less milk secretion and egg-laying, platypuses and echidnas are some of the strangest mammals on Earth.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
While on the outside, the bone appears similar to echidna bones, the internal structure of the bone was more like that of the platypus.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
The team found that internally, the fossil had characteristics of the semiaquatic platypus: a thicker bone wall and smaller central cavity.
—Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
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Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Between backward-facing-feet, nipple-less milk secretion and egg-laying, platypuses and echidnas are some of the strangest mammals on Earth.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
While on the outside, the bone appears similar to echidna bones, the internal structure of the bone was more like that of the platypus.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
The team found that internally, the fossil had characteristics of the semiaquatic platypus: a thicker bone wall and smaller central cavity.
—Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for platypus
Cite this Entry
“Platypus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platypus. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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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