quadruped

"The English Language" by David Crystal の中の一文です。 Are the definitions clear? Do you need the dictionary to look up the words used in the definition (e.g. dog as 'carnivorous quadruped...')? "quadruped" は初めて見る単語ですが、"quad" があるので４に関係しているはずなので文脈からして四足の動物の意味だと思いますが辞書を見ます。 OneLook Quick Definitions: an animal especially a mammal having four limbs specialized for walking Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary: An animal having four feet, as most mammals and reptiles; -- often restricted to the mammals. ところで犬は "carnivore" ではなく人間と同じで "omnivore" だと思いましたが、"dog" を辞書で見てみます。 American Herritage Dictionary: A domesticated carnivorous mammal (Canis familiaris) related to the foxes and wolves and raised in a wide variety of breeds. Dictionary.com: any carnivore of the dogfamily Canidae, having prominent canine teeth and, in the wild state, a long and slender muzzle, a deep-chested muscular body, a bushy tail, and large, erect ears. 辞書の定義では確かに肉食（"carnivore"）となっていますね。　でも納得がいかないのでWikipedia を見ると、dogsのDietの項にこう書いてありました。 Despite its descent from wolves, the domestic dog is an omnivore, though it is classified in the order Carnivora. やはり正しくは "omnivorous mammal"、"omnivore" ですね。