plantigrade Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an animal that walks with the entire sole of the foot touching the ground as e.g. bears and human beings
    plantigrade mammal.
  2. adjective (of mammals) walking on the whole sole of the foot (as rabbits, raccoons, bears, and humans do)

WordNet

Plan"ti*grade adjective
Etymology
L. planta sole of the foot + gradi to walk: cf. F. plantigrade.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) (a) Walking on the sole of the foot; pertaining to the plantigrades. (b) Having the foot so formed that the heel touches the ground when the leg is upright.
Plan"ti*grade noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A plantigrade animal, or one that walks or steps on the sole of the foot, as man, and the bears.

Webster 1913