Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Any of various hoofed mammals of the order Artiodactyla, which includes cattle, deer, camels, hippopotamuses, sheep, and goats, that have an even number of toes, usually two or sometimes four, on each foot.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of or pertaining to the Artiodactyla; cloven-footed; even-toed. Also artiodactylous.
- n. One of the Artiodactyla.
Wiktionary
- n. Any ungulate mammal with an even number of toes and belonging to the Artiodactyla, including pigs, sheep, deer, cattle, and most grazing animals.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. placental mammal having hooves with an even number of functional toes on each foot; a member of the artiodactyla.
- adj. of, pertaining to, or belonging to the order Artiodactyla.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. of or relating to or belonging to mammals of the order Artiodactyla
- n. placental mammal having hooves with an even number of functional toes on each foot
Etymologies
- From New Latin Artiodactyla, order name : Greek artios, even; see ar- in Indo-European roots + Greek daktulos, toe.
Examples
“There are at least eleven different species intermediate between artiodactyls and cetaceans in the fossil record and they occur in precisely the right sequence expected if cetaceans are derived from artiodactyl ancestors.”
“It has a nice figure of artiodactyl phylogeny, including cetaceans.”
“In view of the divergent anatomy of babirusas, most artiodactyl specialists agree that they represent an ancient lineage, Babyrousinae, which branched off from the rest of Suidae early in its evolution (Thenius 1970).”
“A few artiodactyl specialists make a point of using the latter name, but the former is more widely used and would easily win in a fight.”
“In more recent publications however (Groves 2001, Meijaard & Groves 2002a, b), it has been argued that most of the supposed subspecies are distinct enough to be recognised as distinct species, being as different from one another as are universally recognised species among other artiodactyl groups.”
The many babirusa species: laissez-faire lumping under fire again
“The artiodactyl in the photo is a charismatic and very friendly male Babirusa.”
“An Eocene peccary from Thailand and the biogeographical origins of the artiodactyl family Tayassuidae.”
Why putting your hand in a peccary’s mouth is a really bad idea
“The proximal parts of their limbs were way more stocky that is usual for an artiodactyl, giving them an almost bear-like shape.”
“Mostly it comes down to a superficial similarity between certain Cenozoic artiodactyls (like cainotheres) and lagomorphs, and the transverse chewing style and artiodactyl-like ankle structure of lagomorphs.”
“An artiodactyl trampled the dung with hoofs sliding on its surface and producing two incomplete imprints.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘artiodactyl’.
-
Cattle
cattle, cow, beef, steer, heifer, calf, bull, cattle call, Black Angus, Hereford, Holstein, Dwarf Lulu and 376 more...
-
Swine
For more aporkalyptic fun, see madmouth's Everything's better with a pig in it.
For "references to the Dursleys in Wizard People, Dear Reader, Brad Neely's cosmos-shattering voiceover ...swine, pig, hog, boar, pork, pork bellies, hog cholera, swineherd, pigsty, swine flu, oink, pig in a blanket and 185 more...
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.