What does webfooted mean?
Webfooted describes an animal with webbed feet, meaning that skin connects the toes and helps the animal move through water. The term is most often associated with ducks, geese, swans, and other aquatic birds, although it can describe other animals with similarly adapted feet. Webbed feet increase the surface area available for pushing against water, making swimming more efficient. In ordinary writing, the word is usually hyphenated as web-footed, especially when it appears immediately before a noun. It is primarily descriptive and biological, but it can also convey an image of an animal built for paddling through water. The word is relatively uncommon in general conversation, yet it is useful when a precise description is needed: saying that a bird is webfooted communicates more than simply calling it a water bird, while avoiding the more familiar but less exact expression “has webbed feet.”
adjectiveHaving feet with webbed skin joining the toes, as in ducks and many other aquatic birds. It may also describe other animals whose feet are adapted in a similar way.
- Having webbed feet, especially in aquatic birds and other animals whose toes are joined by skin.
"The duck's webfooted feet propel it swiftly through the water."
"A webfooted duck glided across the pond without making a sound."
"The guide described the unusual webfooted animal as one of the wetland's most distinctive inhabitants."
A duck's webbed feet work like paddles, turning an ordinary-looking bird into an efficient swimmer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of webfooted
Webfooted is an English compound formed from web and foot, with the suffix -ed meaning “having.” Both elements descend from Old English: webb referred to a woven or interlaced structure, while fōt meant “foot.” In modern zoological usage, the web is the membrane joining a bird's toes, so web-footed literally means “having webbed feet.” Related English forms include webbed, webbing, and web-foot.
How webfooted is actually used
Usually written as web-footed in running text. It is chiefly a biological and descriptive term, with a technical tone rather than an everyday one.