digitigrade

Meanings

1. Of an animal: walking on the toes, putting the weight of the body mainly on the ball of the foot, with the back of the foot, or heel, raised.
2. Of feet or a manner of walking: of, resembling, or pertaining to that of a digitigrade animal.
3. Belonging to the Digitigrada of the taxonomic order Carnivora.

1. A digitigrade animal; an animal that walks on its toes, such as a cat or a dog.

Etymology

From French digitigrade, from Latin digitus (“finger, toe, digit”) + -grade (“gait”); compare New Latin digitigradus.