[ahr-tee-oh-dak-til] 
| 1. | Zoology. having an even number of toes or digits on each foot. |
| 2. | a hoofed, even-toed mammal of the order Artiodactyla, comprising the pigs, hippopotamuses, camels, deer, giraffes, pronghorns, sheep, goats, antelope, and cattle. |
ar·ti·o·dac·tyl (är'tē-ō-dāk'təl)  (click for larger image in new window) n. Any of various hoofed mammals of the order Artiodactyla, which includes cattle, deer, camels, hippopotamuses, sheep, and goats, that have an even number of toes, usually two or sometimes four, on each foot. [From New Latin Artiodactyla, order name : Greek artios, even; see ar- in Indo-European roots + Greek daktulos, toe.] ar'ti·o·dac'tyl, ar'ti·o·dac'ty·lous (-tə-ləs) adj. |
| artiodactyl (är'tē-ō-dāk'təl) Pronunciation Key
Any of various hoofed mammals of the order Artiodactyla, having an even number of toes on each foot. Artiodactyls include the pig, sheep, ox, deer, giraffe, and hippopotamus. Also called even-toed ungulate. |
artiodactyl
any member of the mammalian order Artiodactyla, or even-toed ungulates, which includes the pigs (see table), peccaries, hippopotamuses, camels, chevrotains, deer, giraffes, pronghorn, antelopes, sheep (see table), goats (see table), and cattle (see beef and dairy tables). It is one of the larger mammal orders, containing about 150 species, a total that may be somewhat reduced with continuing revision of their classification. Many artiodactyls are well-known to man, and the order as a whole is of more economic and cultural benefit than any other group of mammals. The much larger order of rodents (Rodentia) affects man primarily in a negative way, by competing with him or impeding his economic and cultural progress
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