amphibian

noun

am·​phib·​i·​an am-ˈfi-bē-ən 

1

: an amphibious organism

especially : any of a class (Amphibia) of cold-blooded vertebrates (such as frogs, toads, or salamanders) intermediate in many characters between fish and reptiles and having gilled aquatic larvae and air-breathing adults

Unlike reptiles, most amphibians possess a smooth, moist skin and lay their shell-less eggs in water or wet places.

—Jeffrey P. Cohn

2

: an amphibious vehicle

especially : an airplane designed to take off from and land on either land or water

amphibian adjective

Examples of amphibian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The wildlife here can pique anyone's interest, as Shedd's exhibits even include crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024

These North American amphibians, which spend most of their time hibernating underground, dislike being threatened. —Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024

While amphibians hibernate, their heart rate and metabolism slow way down, freeing them from the need to chow down on food. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024

On the day Alexa visited, Michelle Koo took her to her favorite room - the amphibians and reptiles. —Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 4 Jan. 2024

Rare Pygmy Hippo Birth at Athens Zoo Has Staff 'Absolutely Thrilled': 'Extremely Important' Researchers also noted that this new discovery is essential to studying how modern amphibians came into being — as well as how their prehistoric ancestors looked and behaved. —Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024

All amphibians are threatened by wetland destruction, but spring peepers are widespread here. —Daryln Brewer Hoffstot Kristian Thacker, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024

And the specimen might help researchers solve an evolutionary puzzle about early amphibians that lived before the dinosaurs. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024

Wildlife Beyond the 1,500 blooming plants, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to around 65 species of mammals, over 200 varieties of birds, 67 native fish species, and more than 80 types of reptiles and amphibians. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Amphibia, taxon including frogs and salamanders (from neuter plural of amphibius amphibious) + -an entry 1

Note: As a taxon Amphibia was used as a class name already by linnaeus (Systema naturae, 10. editio, 1758, p. 196 et passim), but in a sense that included both amphibians and some reptiles. Limitation of the taxon to approximately its current meaning dates from Thomas Gray's "A Synopsis of the Genera of Reptiles and Amphibia" (Annals of Philosophy, new series vol. 10, July-December, 1825, pp.193-217) according to Darrel R. Frost, et al., "The Amphibian Tree of Life," Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, No. 297 (2006), p. 355. The use of both English amphibian and Latin amphibius with varying gender and number to refer to animals living on both land and sea (and in figurative senses) can be found much earlier.

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

amphibian

noun

am·​phib·​i·​an am-ˈfib-ē-ən 

1

: any organism that is able to live both on land and in water

especially : any of a class of cold-blooded vertebrate animals (as frogs and salamanders) that in many respects are between fishes and reptiles

2

: an airplane designed to take off from and land on either land or water

amphibian adjective