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amphibian
[ am-fib-ee-uhn ]
noun
- any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Amphibia, comprising frogs and toads, newts and salamanders, and caecilians, the larvae being typically aquatic, breathing by gills, and the adults being typically semiterrestrial, breathing by lungs and through the moist, glandular skin.
- an amphibious plant.
- an airplane designed for taking off from and landing on both land and water.
- Also called amtrac. a flat-bottomed, armed, military vehicle, equipped with both tracks and a rudder, that can travel either on land or in water, used chiefly for landing assault troops.
adjective
- belonging or pertaining to the Amphibia.
amphibian
/ æmˈfɪbɪən /
noun
- any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Amphibia, typically living on land but breeding in water. Their aquatic larvae (tadpoles) undergo metamorphosis into the adult form. The class includes the newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians
- a type of aircraft able to land and take off from both water and land
- any vehicle able to travel on both water and land
adjective
- another word for amphibious
- of, relating to, or belonging to the class Amphibia
amphibian
/ ăm-fĭb′ē-ən /
- A cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrate of the class Amphibia. Amphibians hatch as aquatic larvae with gills and, in most species, then undergo metamorphosis into four-legged terrestrial adults with lungs for breathing air. The eggs of amphibians are fertilized externally and lack an amnion. Amphibians evolved from lobe-finned fish during the late Devonian Period and include frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians.
Other Words From
- nonam·phibi·an adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of amphibian1
Word History
Example Sentences
The report is based on the Living Planet Index of more than 5,000 bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile and fish population counts over five decades.
According to experts, the main reason for the frog's disappearance from dining room tables and its decline in popularity among younger people is an infectious amphibian disease called chytridiomycosis.
"It was one of the fastest amphibian declines on record in our history."
More than 40% of amphibian species, nearly 33% of reef-forming corals and more than a third of marine animals are threatened.
To date it has contributed to the decline of over 500 amphibian species, and 90 possible extinctions including yellow-legged mountain frogs in the Sierras and the Panamanian golden frog.
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