amphibian

Definitions


[amˈfɪbɪən], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that comprises the frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians. They are distinguished by having an aquatic gill-breathing larval stage followed (typically) by a terrestrial lung-breathing adult stage


Phrases:

Origin:
mid 17th century (in the sense ‘having two modes of existence or of doubtful nature’): from modern Latin amphibium ‘an amphibian’, from Greek amphibion (noun use of amphibios ‘living both in water and on land’, from amphi ‘both’ + bios ‘life’)


[amˈfɪbɪən], (Adjective)

Definitions:
- relating to amphibians
(e.g: amphibian eggs)


Phrases:

Origin:
mid 17th century (in the sense ‘having two modes of existence or of doubtful nature’): from modern Latin amphibium ‘an amphibian’, from Greek amphibion (noun use of amphibios ‘living both in water and on land’, from amphi ‘both’ + bios ‘life’)




definition by Oxford Dictionaries