quadruped

This term is primarily used in biological, zoological, and anatomical contexts to categorize animals based on their locomotion and skeletal structure. It carries a clinical or scientific tone, making it more appropriate for a textbook or a research paper than for casual conversation, where words like four-legged animal are more common.

While the word describes a physical characteristic, it is often used in comparative anatomy to contrast with bipeds (two-legged creatures) or ungulates. It refers strictly to the physical morphology of the animal regardless of whether the animal is capable of standing on two legs occasionally.