amphibians
amphibians — adjective
- amphibianspositive
- more amphibianscomparative
- most amphibianssuperlative
1. relating to the group of cold-blooded animals, such as frogs, toads, and salaman
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.
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
Wetlands provide essential amphibian habitats across many parts of the world.
Erik collected data on amphibian populations for his university research project.
Garden ponds can create safe amphibian breeding areas in the spring.
文法句型
amphibian + noun
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
2. describing a vehicle that can travel on both land and water, or an aircraft that
describing a vehicle that can travel on both land and water, or an aircraft that can take off and land on water.
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.
Amphibian aircraft are useful for reaching lakes that have no roads nearby.
Engineers designed an amphibian car that folds its wheels for water travel.
- amphibious
more frequent in formal and technical writing, especially for military vehicles
文法句型
amphibian + noun (vehicle, aircraft, car, bus)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
amphibians — noun
- amphibianssingular
- amphibiansesplural
1. any creature with a backbone and cold blood — for example, a frog, toad, or sala
any creature with a backbone and cold blood — for example, a frog, toad, or salamander — that begins life in water, develops lungs to live on land, and always goes back to water to reproduce.
Dewi found an amphibian hiding under a wet log near the stream in her garden.
an amphibian — singular countable use
Many amphibians sleep through the cold winter months buried underground.
The pond attracts frogs and other amphibians that help control the insect population.
Scientists worry that amphibians are disappearing because of pollution and disease.
Aylin showed her class how an amphibian grows from a tadpole to a frog.
- reptile
a different class of cold-blooded animals that lay hard-shelled eggs on land, such as snakes and lizards
文法句型
an amphibian
amphibians (plural)
用法筆記
The plural form amphibians is very common when referring to the class as a group. Science textbooks use this term alongside reptiles (爬蟲類) and mammals (哺乳類).
常見錯誤
2. a machine that moves over ground and through water, or an aeroplane that can ris
a machine that moves over ground and through water, or an aeroplane that can rise from and settle onto a lake or sea.
The military used an amphibian to carry soldiers from the ship to the beach.
an amphibian — used alone to mean amphibious vehicle
Haruto watched a small amphibian drive off the road and into the lake.
Tourists can ride in an amphibian that crosses the river and returns by road.
Caio's uncle flies an amphibian that lands on water near lakeside cabins.
- amphibious vehicle
more precise and avoids confusion with the animal sense
- amphibious aircraft
specific term for planes that land on water
文法句型
an amphibian (vehicle)
用法筆記
This sense is much less common than the animal sense. Context — military, engineering, or tourism — usually makes the meaning clear. When ambiguity arises, use amphibious vehicle or amphibious aircraft instead.