amphibia

3 definitions found

amphibia - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Amphibia \Am*phib"i*a\, n. pl. [See Amphibium.] (Zool.)
     One of the classes of vertebrates.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The Amphibia are distinguished by having usually no
           scales, by having eggs and embryos similar to those of
           fishes, and by undergoing a complete metamorphosis, the
           young having gills. There are three living orders: (1)
           The tailless, as the frogs (Anura); (2) The tailed
           (Urodela), as the salamanders, and the siren group
           (Sirenoidea), which retain the gills of the young
           state (hence called Perennibranchiata) through the
           adult state, among which are the siren, proteus, etc.;
           (3) The C[oe]cilians, or serpentlike Amphibia
           (Ophiomorpha or Gymnophiona), with minute scales
           and without limbs. The extinct Labyrinthodonts also
           belonged to this class. The term is sometimes loosely
           applied to both reptiles and amphibians collectively.
           [1913 Webster]

  Amphibium \Am*phib"i*um\, n.; pl. L. Amphibia; E.
     Amphibiums. [NL., fr. Gr. ? (sc. ? an animal). See
     Amphibious.]
     An amphibian.
     [1913 Webster]

amphibia - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  amphibia
      n 1: the class of vertebrates that live on land but breed in
           water; frogs; toads; newts; salamanders; caecilians [syn:
           amphibia, class Amphibia]