amphibious

adjective

am·​phib·​i·​ous am-ˈfi-bē-əs 

1

: combining two characteristics

2

a

: relating to or adapted for both land and water

amphibious vehicles

b

: executed by coordinated action of land, sea, and air forces organized for invasion

an amphibious landing

also : trained or organized for such action

amphibious forces

3

: able to live both on land and in water

amphibious plants

amphibiously adverb

amphibiousness noun

Examples of amphibious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Five days after Dieppe, not yet knowing of its horror, Haldane and Spurway were working on the next amphibious assault plan. —Rachel Lance, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024

The Pentagon expanded its presence in the Middle East afterthe Oct. 7 attacks, including taking the unusual step of temporarily positioning two aircraft carriers in the region and dispatching ships from an amphibious ready group off Israel. —Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

In it, a BBC correspondent said that Ehrhart had shot down seven Houthi drones while flying an AV-8B Harrier from the USS Bataan, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship - basically a light aircraft carrier. —Eric Tegler, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

The $1 billion amphibious assault ship burned for more than four days and was destroyed in 2020. —Megan Rose, ProPublica, 3 Apr. 2024

The 843-foot amphibious assault ship, which carries a mix of aircraft, deployed on Monday for the first time in five years. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024

Instead of launching traditional amphibious assaults, these nimbler groups are intended as an enabler for a larger joint force. —Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024

In the latest attack on Saturday, at the fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol, Ukraine sank an amphibious landing ship, damaged two others and also hit an intelligence vessel. —Katya Soldak, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

The landing ship can carry tanks, troops and other cargo to support amphibious assaults, with doors in the bow that open onto land without the ship needing to dock. —Illia Novikov The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin amphibius "living both on land and in water" (borrowed from Greek amphíbios "living a double life, living both on land and in the water," from amphi- amphi- + -bios "having such a mode of life," derivative of bíos "life") + -ous — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

amphibious

adjective

am·​phib·​i·​ous am-ˈfib-ē-əs 

1

: able to live both on land and in water

amphibious plants

2

a

: designed for use on both land and water

amphibious vehicles

b

: carried out by land, sea, and air forces acting together

an amphibious assault

amphibiously adverb

amphibiousness noun

Etymology

from Greek amphibios "living a double life," from amphi- "around, on both sides" and bios "mode of life"