amphibious
Americanadjective
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living or able to live both on land and in water; belonging to both land and water.
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Also capable of operating on both land and water.
amphibious vehicles.
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of or relating to military operations by both land and naval forces against the same object, especially to a military attack by troops landed by naval ships.
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trained or organized to fight, or fighting, on both land and sea.
amphibious troops.
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combining two qualities, kinds, traits, etc.; of or having a mixed or twofold nature.
adjective
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able to live both on land and in the water, as frogs, toads, etc
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designed for operation on or from both water and land
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relating to military forces and equipment organized for operations launched from the sea against an enemy shore
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having a dual or mixed nature
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of amphibious
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin amphibius, from Greek amphíbios “living a double life”; see amphi-, bio-, -ous
Explanation
If you can drive your car down the highway and then go off road and ford a few rivers, too, you've got an amphibious vehicle — something that works on land and in the water, too. Amphibious also describes animals that can live on land or in the water — like frogs and toads — and comes from the Greek roots amphi "both" and bios "life." Military operations where both your army and your navy are involved — one attacking by land and the other by sea — are called amphibious assaults or amphibious operations.
Vocabulary lists containing amphibious
Words to Live By: Bio
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Code Talker
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ortiz Canseco was reported missing from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage early Thursday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Sailors and Marines are using landing and amphibious craft to deliver aid to the most affected coastal areas.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, were the largest amphibious operation in history.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
Marines from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli then boarded the Touska by helicopter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
“You know, Dad,” Brinker broke in, “the Coast Guard does some very rough stuff, putting the men on the beaches, all that dangerous amphibious stuff.”
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
