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quadrupes. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
quadrupes, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
quadrupes in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
quadrupes you have here. The definition of the word
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Latin
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Etymology
quadru- (“four”) + pēs (“foot”)
Pronunciation
Adjective
quadrupēs (genitive quadrupedis); third-declension one-termination adjective
- galloping
- moving on all fours
- four-legged, quadrupedal
Declension
Third-declension one-termination adjective.
Descendants
Noun
quadrupēs m or f or n (genitive quadrupedis); third declension
- a quadruped
4 CE – c. 70 CE,
Columella,
De Re Rustica 11.2.14:
- His etiam diebus maturi agni et reliqui fetus pecudum, nec minus maiora quadrupedia charactere signari debent.
- 1955 translation by E. S. Forster, Edward H. Heffner
- In these days, too, early lambs and the other young of cattle and the larger four-footed beasts also ought to be marked with the branding-iron.
4 CE – c. 70 CE,
Columella,
De Re Rustica 11.2.33:
- Quin etiam pecus lanatum ceteraque quadripedia tempus idoneum est castrandi.
- 1955 translation by E. S. Forster, Edward H. Heffner
- It is also a suitable time for castrating woolly cattle and the other four-footed beasts.
Usage notes
- As a noun, it can be masculine, feminine (agreeing with bēstia) or neuter (agreeing with animal).
- The non-neuter declension appears to be non-i-stem, while the neuter declension appears to be pure neuter i-stem; but usage was somewhat fluid.
- It appears to be slightly more likely to have the meaning "beast of burden" when masculine.
Declension
References
- “quadrupes”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “quadrupes”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- quadrupes in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- “quadrupes”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
