salamander

noun

sal·​a·​man·​der ˈsa-lə-ˌman-dər How to pronounce salamander (audio)
 also  ˌsa-lə-ˈman-
1
: a mythical animal having the power to endure fire without harm
2
: an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus inhabiting fire
3
: any of numerous amphibians (order Caudata) superficially resembling lizards but scaleless and covered with a soft moist skin and breathing by gills in the larval stage
4
: an article used in connection with fire: such as
a
: a cooking utensil for browning a food (such as pastry or pudding)
b
: a portable stove
c
: a cooking device with an overhead heat source like a broiler
5
: a mass of unfused material (such as metallic iron or partially reduced ore) in the hearth of a blast furnace
6
: the pocket gopher (Geomys tuza) of the southeastern U.S.
salamandrine adjective

Examples of salamander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Glue traps — boards coated with an adhesive meant to entrap rodents — have ensnared birds, bats, chipmunks, lizards, opossums, mice, rabbits, salamanders, snakes, turtles and even flying squirrels, Shaw said, citing the WILD-ONe database, created by the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the myth of the fire-proof salamander blazed, with some believing it was born in fire, like the Phoenix. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But the spring where the salamanders were originally found has since disappeared, and searches of nearby springs in 2006 and 2020 were unsuccessful. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Unlike bilaterians such as salamanders (and humans), which have bilateral symmetry (meaning a symmetrical right and left side), cnidarians have radial body symmetry, with body sections that extend out from the middle and are symmetrical all around. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2024 From salamanders to starfish to the actual hydra (a tiny hydrozoan named for the fearsome beast of legend), animals that are capable of regeneration all start the repair process by forming a blastema. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2024 Of all the amphibians surveyed, salamanders and newts were the most threatened, the authors discovered. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Oct. 2023 Several other cave critters, including olm salamanders and cave fish, have also lost their sight. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2023 The National Zoo has four Japanese giant salamanders. Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salamander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English salamandre "a reptile believed to live in fire," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin salamandra, borrowed from Greek salamándra, probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of salamander was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near salamander

Cite this Entry

“Salamander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salamander. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

salamander

noun
sal·​a·​man·​der ˈsal-ə-ˌman-dər How to pronounce salamander (audio)
1
: an imaginary creature not harmed by fire
2
: any of an order of amphibians that are covered with scaleless usually smooth moist skin and look like lizards

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