digitigrade

/ˈdɪdʒɪtɪɡreɪd/
noun
  1. An animal that walks on its toes.
    • Dogs and cats are common digitigrades found in many homes.
    • Digitigrades often have padded feet to absorb shock while running.
    • The cheetah, a digitigrade, is one of the fastest land animals.
adjective
  1. Walking on the toes (digits) rather than on the whole foot, as seen in many mammals like cats and dogs.
    • Many digitigrade mammals have long legs and flexible ankles for efficient movement.
    • Cats are digitigrade animals, which helps them move quietly and quickly.
    • The digitigrade stance of a dog allows it to run faster than a human.
Antonyms