ScienceAugust 20, 2026
bipedal
by-PEE-dul
Definition
Referring to an animal that uses two limbs to move or walk.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'bi-' (two) and 'pes' (foot). It entered English in the late 19th century to describe the anatomical or locomotive characteristics of creatures that walk on two feet.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the unusual way the octopus walks on two of its arms, highlighting that this type of locomotion occurs even in animals that lack a rigid skeleton.
An octopus was filmed carrying two halves of a coconut shell across the seafloor to reassemble them later as a portable suit of armour, one of the only clear cases of a wild invertebrate using tools.
Read the full article ↗Space Daily