salamander

noun

sal·​a·​man·​der ˈsa-lə-ˌman-dər 

 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 or Urodela) 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 gophers (genus Geomys) of the southeastern U.S.

salamandrine

ˌsa-lə-ˈman-drən 

adjective

Examples of salamander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The third amphibian is a new species of arboreal salamander, Bolitoglossa sp. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2024

But on Day 1, the researchers discovered a new species of climbing salamander. —Annie Roth, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024

Their closest relatives are the giant salamanders of China and Japan, which face similar threats from habitat destruction. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

The Elkhorn Slough is home to more than 700 species of plants, animals and marine life, including endangered and threatened species such as the southern sea otter, the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander and the California brown pelican. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing salamander

• spotted salamander
• tiger salamander

Rhymes for salamander

• coriander
• oleander
• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander
• laender
• lander
• pander
• sander

Kids Definition

salamander

noun

sal·​a·​man·​der ˈsal-ə-ˌman-dər 

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