Crossword clues for amphibian
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Amphibian \Am*phib"i*an\ (-an), a. (Zo["o]l.) Of or pertaining to the Amphibia; as, amphibian reptiles.
Amphibian \Am*phib"i*an\, n. (Zo["o]l.) One of the Amphibia.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1630s, "having two modes of existence, of doubtful nature," from Greek amphibia, neuter plural of amphibios "living a double life," from amphi- "of both kinds" (see amphi-) + bios "life" (see bio-).\n
\nFormerly used by zoologists to describe all sorts of combined natures (including otters and seals), the biological sense "class of animals between fishes and reptiles that live both on land and in water" and the noun derivative both are first recorded 1835. Amphibia was used in this sense from c.1600 and has been a zoological classification since c.1819.
Wiktionary
a. 1 (context obsolete English) Having two natures. 2 Pertaining to the Amphibia. n. 1 An animal of the Amphibia; any four-legged vertebrate that does not have amniotic eggs, living both on land and in water. 2 A vehicle which can operate on land and water. See Wikipedia article on "Amphibious aircraft"
WordNet
adj. relating to or characteristic of animals of the class Amphibia [syn: amphibious]
n. a flat-bottomed motor vehicle that can travel on land or water [syn: amphibious vehicle]
an airplane designed to take off and land on water [syn: amphibious aircraft]
cold-blooded vertebrate typically living on land but breeding in water; aquatic larvae undergo metamorphosis into adult form
Wikipedia
Amphibians are ectothermic, tetrapod vertebrates of the class Amphibia. Modern amphibians are all Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. The young generally undergo metamorphosis from larva with gills to an adult air-breathing form with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory surface and some small terrestrial salamanders and frogs lack lungs and rely entirely on their skin. They are superficially similar to reptiles but, along with mammals and birds, reptiles are amniotes and do not require water bodies in which to breed. With their complex reproductive needs and permeable skins, amphibians are often ecological indicators; in recent decades there has been a dramatic decline in amphibian populations for many species around the globe.
The earliest amphibians evolved in the Devonian period from sarcopterygian fish with lungs and bony-limbed fins, features that were helpful in adapting to dry land. They diversified and became dominant during the Carboniferous and Permian periods, but were later displaced by reptiles and other vertebrates. Over time, amphibians shrank in size and decreased in diversity, leaving only the modern subclass Lissamphibia. The three modern orders of amphibians are Anura (the frogs and toads), Urodela (the salamanders), and Apoda (the caecilians). The number of known amphibian species is approximately 7,000, of which nearly 90% are frogs. The smallest amphibian (and vertebrate) in the world is a frog from New Guinea ( Paedophryne amauensis) with a length of just . The largest living amphibian is the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus), but this is dwarfed by the extinct Prionosuchus from the middle Permian of Brazil. The study of amphibians is called batrachology, while the study of both reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology.
An amphibian is an animal.
Amphibian may also refer to:
- Amphibian (comics), a superhero
- Amphibious vehicle
- Amphibious aircraft
- Hovercraft
- Vostok Amphibia, one of the Vostok watches
- Amphibian (song), a song by Björk
- Mark I Amphibian Mark II Amphibian, Mark III Amphibian, Mark IV Amphibian: 4 types of World War II period British frogman's rebreather
Amphibian is the name of two different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Both characters are not from the main reality where stories are set in the Marvel Universe, but are from two separate alternate universes.
Usage examples of "amphibian".
The dirigible would be easier riding than the amphibian, but the hairy chemist knew there was no chance of using it.
The amphibian shot ahead, then rose into the air like a graceful bird, circled the police launch.
The big amphibian went into a barrel roll, straightened out and dived.
He swung the big amphibian toward the speeding dot of the pursuit ship.
The pursuit ships were only faint dots in the sky, the bombers far in the distance, when a huge amphibian showed in the clear mountain air.
Even the watchers, far below, could see the armor plating on the big amphibian melting.
The boat was just swinging up beside the amphibian plane bobbing gently around on the water.
The Rillyti held their position, amphibian faces twisted in a fierce mask, yellow eyes clouded by a flashing nictitating membrane.
With each mortal wound, an amphibian pitched writhing into space and tumbled flailing against those behind.
The timeworn obelisk at their backs, before them the amphibian horde was grouping for the final rush.
Most terrible of all were the octopoid creatures, reconjoined in a blasphemous, crawling chaos of tentacles, claws, human and amphibian limbs, human heads protruding like cancerous growths from their rubbery flesh.
I know two amphibian research labs in California who are working with live Ranaviruses.
At that very moment, a supply of the amphibian virus was winging its way by Air Force jet to Dr.
And the fetal curl of the spine -- not amphibian, but something far more horrifying, because its genetic class was recognizable.
The massive amphibian whipped its head back and forth in an instinctual frenzy to rip and tear.