/ ˈplætɪpəs; NAmE / (also ˌduck-billed ˈplatypus ) noun
an Australian animal that is covered in fur and has a beak like a duck , webbed feet (= with skin between the toes) and a flat tail. Platypuses lay eggs but give milk to their young.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent.: modern Latin , from Greek platupous flat-footed, from platus flat + pous foot.