n. Any of various hoofed mammals of the order Artiodactyla, having an even number of toes, either two or four, on each foot. Artiodactyls include camels, pigs, hippopotamuses, and the ruminants, such as cattle, deer, sheep, and antelopes. [From New Latin Artiodactyla, order name : Greek artios, even; see ar- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Greek daktulos, toe.] ar′ti·o·dactyl, ar′ti·o·dacty·lous (-tə-ləs) adj. (click for a larger image) artiodactyltop: four-toed foot of a hippopotamus bottom: two-toed foot of a giraffe |
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