ˈplad.əpəs, -dē-, -ˌpu̇s noun
( -es )
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek platypous flat-footed, from platy- + pous foot — more at foot
: a small aquatic mammal ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus ) of the order Monotremata of southern and eastern Australia and Tasmania having a fleshy bill resembling that of a duck, dense blackish brown fur, 5-toed webbed feet, and a broad flattened tail, and being an expert swimmer and diver, inhabiting burrows near the water, feeding chiefly on aquatic mollusks, and unlike most mammals being oviparous, laying eggs about three fourths of an inch long — called also duckbill, duckmole
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