newt

noun

ˈnüt 

ˈnyüt

: any of various small salamanders (family Salamandridae) that are usually semiaquatic as adults

Illustration of newt

Examples of newt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That newt never had a Grindr hookup; that vole never looked down at the clouds from the window of an airplane. — Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025

This small-sized newt, found in remote mountain streams, is notable for its orange-red belly and bright orange tail. — Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

The Apuan Alps are uniquely biodiverse, home to wolves, golden eagles, a rare Alpine newt, and dozens of species of endemic flora. — Meara Sharma, The Dial, 22 July 2025

Intense fires that historically happened once in generations are now so commonplace that a humble California newt, which typically lives for 10 to 20 years, may have already lived through multiple blazes. — Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, alteration (resulting from misdivision of an ewte) of ewte — more at eft

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for newt

• boot
• bruit
• brut
• brute
• chute
• coot
• cute
• flute
• fruit
• hoot
• jute
• loot

Kids Definition

newt

noun

ˈn(y)üt 

: any of various small salamanders that live mostly in water