amphibious

[am-fib-ee-uhs]

adjective

1. living or able to live both on land and in water; belonging to both land and water.

2. Also capable of operating on both land and water.

   amphibious vehicles.

3. 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.

4. trained or organized to fight, or fighting, on both land and sea.

   amphibious troops.

5. combining two qualities, kinds, traits, etc.; of or having a mixed or twofold nature.

amphibious

/ æmˈfɪbɪəs /

adjective

1. able to live both on land and in the water, as frogs, toads, etc

2. designed for operation on or from both water and land

3. relating to military forces and equipment organized for operations launched from the sea against an enemy shore

4. having a dual or mixed nature

Other Word Forms

• amphibiously adverb
• amphibiousness noun
• nonamphibious adjective
• nonamphibiously adverb
• nonamphibiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of amphibious¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin amphibius, from Greek amphíbios “living a double life”; amphi-, bio-, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of amphibious¹

C17: from Greek amphibios, literally: having a double life, from _amphi- + bios life

Example Sentences

The Navy’s current inventory includes about 287 ships, including destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships and submarines.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This force includes the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, as well as a range of guided missile destroyers and amphibious assault ships capable of landing thousands of troops.

Read more on BBC

The Ford strike group will add to the U.S. forces that have already been amassed in the Caribbean region, including an amphibious ready group and F-35Bs and MQ-9s in Puerto Rico.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Navy also operates nine amphibious assault ships that can deploy aircraft.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Since August, the Pentagon has surged forces, destroyers and amphibious ships into the U.S.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• floating 
• marine 
• maritime