amphiuma

[am-fee-yoo-muh]

noun

1. an aquatic, eellike salamander of the genus Amphiuma, of the southeastern U.S., having two pairs of very small feet.

Word History and Origins

Origin of amphiuma¹

< New Latin Amphiuma name of the genus, probably irregular formation. See amphi-, pneuma

Example Sentences

Gulliver found the largest cells by far in the three-toed amphiuma, whose vestigial legs are so tiny it resembles an eel.

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The smallest blood corpuscle known is that of a species of small deer, and the largest is that of a lizard like reptile found in our southern waters—the amphiuma.

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Salamanders and a lungfish were close behind amphiuma, with the next-largest cells.

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Species of amphiuma have three, two or even just one toe per foot.

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To their surprise, the African lungfish and a giant salamander from the southeastern U.S., called amphiuma, had dozens of times more DNA per cell than humans, rats, birds or reptiles did.

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