amphibians

IPA/æmˈfɪb.i.ən/
KK[æmfˈɪbiənz]IPA/æmˈfɪb.i.ən/

amphibians — adjective

  • amphibianspositive
  • more amphibianscomparative
  • most amphibianssuperlative

1. relating to the group of cold-blooded animals, such as frogs, toads, and salaman

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the group of cold-blooded animals, such as frogs, toads, and salamanders, that begin life in water and later develop lungs to live on land.

Example

The biology teacher explained the amphibian life cycle to her students.

amphibian + life cycle — typical collocation in science

Amphibian eggs are soft and jelly-like, unlike the hard shells of bird eggs.

amphibian + eggs — describes biological feature

Common collocations
  • amphibian species
  • amphibian life cycle
  • amphibian habitats
  • amphibian populations
  • amphibian eggs

Grammar Patterns

amphibian + noun

Usage Note

Always placed before a noun (amphibian species, amphibian biology). Do not use this form after a linking verb — use amphibious instead (e.g., 'Frogs are amphibious,' not 'Frogs are amphibian').

Common Mistakes

The frog is amphibian.
The frog is an amphibian.
When describing the animal itself, use the noun form with an article, not the adjective alone.
Amphibian animals like crocodiles live in water.
Amphibian animals like frogs live in water.
Crocodiles are reptiles, not amphibians.

2. describing a vehicle that can travel on both land and water, or an aircraft that

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a vehicle that can travel on both land and water, or an aircraft that can take off and land on water.

Example

The army tested a new amphibian vehicle on the coast last month.

amphibian + vehicle — key collocation for this sense

Mira saw an amphibian bus drive into the harbour during her trip to Vancouver.

Common collocations
  • amphibian vehicle
  • amphibian aircraft
  • amphibian car
  • amphibian bus
  • amphibian operation
Synonyms
  • amphibious

    more frequent in formal and technical writing, especially for military vehicles

Grammar Patterns

amphibian + noun (vehicle, aircraft, car, bus)

Usage Note

In this sense, amphibian and amphibious are interchangeable before nouns (amphibian vehicle = amphibious vehicle), but amphibious is far more common in formal and technical writing.

Common Mistakes

A duck is an amphibian bird.
A duck is a water bird, not an amphibian.
Amphibian animals and vehicles are two distinct meanings; birds are not amphibians.

amphibians — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Taiwanese learners often confuse amphibians (兩棲動物) with reptiles (爬蟲類) because both groups are cold-blooded and many live near water. The key difference: amphibians begin life in water with gills and develop lungs later, while reptiles hatch from hard-shelled eggs on land and breathe with lungs from birth. Frogs and salamanders are amphibians; turtles and crocodiles are reptiles. Aquatic animals, such as fish, spend their entire lives in water and never develop lungs — unlike amphibians, which leave the water as adults. The vehicle sense (水陸兩用車) shares the same 'two-life' idea but refers to machines, not living creatures. For example: 'Frogs are amphibians that start as tadpoles in a pond' vs. 'Snakes are reptiles that lay eggs on land and never live in water.'

reptiles ↗aquatic animalsamphibious vehicles

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • decline of amphibians
  • conservation of amphibians
  • class of amphibians

Prepositions

  • among amphibians
  • in amphibians
  • of amphibians

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word amphibian comes from the Greek amphibios (ἀμφίβιος), made from amphi- (both) and bios (life), meaning 'having a double life'. The ancient Greeks used it to describe creatures that could live both on land and in water. English adopted the term in the 17th century through Latin and French, first for the animal class and later for vehicles and aircraft that operate on land and water.

First known use

1654

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1