axolotl

American  

[ak-suh-lot-l] / ˈæk səˌlɒt l /

noun

axolotls plural

1. any of several salamanders of the genus Ambystoma that inhabit lakes and ponds of Mexico and remain in the larval stage as sexually mature adults.

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axolotl British  

/ ˈæksəˌlɒtəl /

noun

1. any of several aquatic salamanders of the North American genus Ambystoma, esp A. mexicanum ( Mexican axolotl ), in which the larval form (including external gills) is retained throughout life under natural conditions (see neoteny ): family Ambystomidae

2. any of various other North American salamanders in which neoteny occurs or is induced

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• axolotls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of axolotl

1780–90; < Nahuatl āxōlōtl, equivalent to ā ( tl ) water + xōlōtl page, male servant

Example Sentences

Tara Costellow, who runs the Axolotl and Reptile Rescue Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire, said they were "majestic animals" but could be "overwhelming".

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

Axolotl introns are up to 13 times longer than human introns, because they are crowded with transposons.

From Scientific American • Feb. 2, 2022

Years ago, Julio Cortazar wrote a good short story called "Axolotl."

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2018

Here's a game upload by user Axolotl called "Ocean Fight!"

From The Verge • May 12, 2016

The influences dependent on food, soil, and climate producing normal modifications have been remarkably illustrated in the gilled batrachian Axolotl.

From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Talbot, Eugene S.