amphibolous

English

Etymology

From Latin amphibolus, Ancient Greek ἀμφίβολος (amphíbolos, “thrown about, doubtful”). See amphibole.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æmˈfɪbələs/

Adjective

amphibolous (comparative more amphibolous, superlative most amphibolous)

1. (obsolete outside philosophy, linguistics) Ambiguous; doubtful.
   • 1640, I. H. [i.e., James Howell], ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΊΑ [DENDROLOGIA]. Dodona’s Grove, or, The Vocall Forrest, London: […] T[homas] B[adger] for H. Mosley [i.e., Humphrey Moseley] […], →OCLC:

     Never was there such an amphibolous quarrel — both parties declaring themselves for the king.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “amphibolous”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)

Anagrams

• ambophilous