/am bis"teuh mid/ , n.
1. Also called mole salamander . any of various small- to moderate-sized salamanders of the genus Ambystoma, terrestrial or semiaquatic, inhabiting North America from New England to Florida and westward to Texas.
adj.
2. of or pertaining to the ambystomids. Cf. axolotl .
[ 1940-45; Ambystom ( a ) genus name ( amby-, prob. erroneous for Gk amblý ( s ) blunt, dull + -stoma -STOME) + -ID 2 ]