amphibian

amphibian — adjective

IPA/æmˈfɪb.i.ən/
KK[æmfˈɪbiən]IPA/æmˈfɪb.i.ən/
  • amphibianpositive
  • more amphibiancomparative
  • most amphibiansuperlative

1. describing the group of cold-blooded animals, including frogs and salamanders, t

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing the group of cold-blooded animals, including frogs and salamanders, that begin life in water and later move onto land.

Example

Hadiya took a class about amphibian eggs at the aquarium last weekend.

amphibian + noun (technical)

The biology teacher showed photos of three different amphibian species from Costa Rica.

Common collocations
  • amphibian species
  • amphibian skin
  • amphibian eggs
  • amphibian population

Grammar Patterns

amphibian + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun (amphibian eggs, amphibian skin, amphibian species). Distinguish from sense 2 by the noun it modifies — biological terms here, vehicles or aircraft in sense 2.

2. describing a vehicle or aircraft built to travel across land and through water,

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a vehicle or aircraft built to travel across land and through water, and sometimes also to fly.

Example

The army demonstrated a new amphibian tank that crossed the river without slowing down.

amphibian + vehicle noun

Tourists boarded an amphibian bus that drove straight from the street into the harbour.

Common collocations
  • amphibian vehicle
  • amphibian aircraft
  • amphibian tank
Synonyms
  • amphibious

    more common adjective form for vehicles and military operations

Grammar Patterns

amphibian + vehicle/aircraft/tank

Usage Note

More commonly written 'amphibious' in modern English; 'amphibian' as an adjective for machines is rarer and slightly older-sounding. Distinguish from sense 1 by context — a machine or craft, never a living animal.

amphibian — noun

IPA/æmˈfɪbiən/
KK[æmfˈɪbiən]IPA/æmˈfɪbiən/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An amphibian is a cold-blooded animal with moist, scaleless skin that begins life in water as larvae (such as tadpoles) and later breathes air on land — frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders are typical examples. A reptile, by contrast, has dry scaly skin and lays its eggs on land; snakes, lizards, and turtles all belong to this group. Vertebrate is a much broader term — it covers any animal with a backbone, so it includes amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals together. In everyday writing, choose 'amphibian' when the animal lives partly in water and partly on land, 'reptile' when the skin is scaly and the eggs are laid on dry ground, and 'vertebrate' only when you want a wide grouping. For example: 'The frog is an amphibian, the snake is a reptile, and both are vertebrates.'

amphibian ↗reptile ↗vertebrate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • amphibian species
  • amphibian habitat
  • amphibian population

Phrases

  • native amphibian
  • endangered amphibian

Prepositions

  • amphibian in (a habitat)

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

From the Greek 'amphibios', meaning 'living a double life' — 'amphi' (both) plus 'bios' (life). The word entered scientific Latin in the 17th century and was used in English by the 1630s for any creature thought to live in two elements. By the 1800s biologists narrowed it to the modern animal class, and the 'land + water vehicle' meaning grew out of military use in the 20th century.