hellbender

noun

hell·​ben·​der ˈhel-ˌben-dər How to pronounce hellbender (audio)
: a large aquatic usually brownish-gray salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) of streams of the eastern and central U.S.

Illustration of hellbender

Illustration of hellbender

Examples of hellbender in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their North American kin is the hellbender, found in the South and in the eastern United States. Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 In the short term, conservationists could keep the numbers up by rearing hellbender larvae for release and avoiding this danger at the nest. Carolyn Wilke, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023 Changes to the hellbenders' environment may have turned this once beneficial adaptation into a harmful evolutionary trap, Klug says. Carolyn Wilke, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023 In its 2019 decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that listing the salamander as endangered was not necessary, partially because of efforts like building nesting boxes for hellbenders and hatching hellbenders in captivity and releasing them into the wild. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023 The eastern hellbender is the largest salamander in North America, reaching two feet or more in length. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023 More wildlife in the water:Indiana biologists find young hellbender in wild for first time since at least the 1980s Those shells were sent along to factories that used hollow drill bits to cut out discs that were then sanded into button blanks. The Indianapolis Star, 5 Sep. 2023 Legend has it that the name hellbender came from the salamander’s looks. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Aug. 2023 Fighting drastic population declines, scientists, wildlife officials and other partners have been collecting hellbender eggs in the wild, rearing them in captivity and reintroducing them to the wild at about age three, when they are thought to have a better chance at survival. Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hellbender was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near hellbender

Cite this Entry

“Hellbender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellbender. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hellbender

noun
hell·​ben·​der ˈhel-ˌben-dər How to pronounce hellbender (audio)
: a large water-dwelling salamander of streams of the eastern and central U.S.

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