salamander

American  

[sal-uh-man-der] / ˈsæl əˌmæn dər /

noun

1. any tailed amphibian of the order Caudata, having a soft, moist, scaleless skin, typically aquatic as a larva and semiterrestrial as an adult: several species are endangered.

2. a mythical being, especially a lizard or other reptile, thought to be able to live in fire.

3. any of various portable stoves or burners.

4. Metallurgy. a mass of iron that accumulates at the bottom of a blast furnace as a result of the escape of molten metal through the hearth.

5. a metal plate or disk with a handle, heated and held over pastry, casserole crusts, etc., to brown or glaze it.

6. an oven usually heated from the top and bottom by gas, for cooking, browning, and glazing food.

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salamander British  

/ ˈsæləˌmændə, ˌsæləˈmændrɪn /

noun

1. any of various urodele amphibians, such as Salamandra salamandra ( European fire salamander ) of central and S Europe (family Salamandridae ). They are typically terrestrial, have an elongated body, and only return to water to breed

2. any urodele amphibian

3. a mythical reptile supposed to live in fire

4. an elemental fire-inhabiting being

5. any person or thing able to exist in fire or great heat

6. metallurgy a residue of metal and slag deposited on the walls of a furnace

7. a portable stove used to dry out a building under construction

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Related Words

See sylph.

Other Word Forms

• salamanderlike
  adjective
• salamandrine
  adjective
• salamandroid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of salamander

1300–50; Middle English salamandre from Latin salamandra from Greek salamándrā

Explanation

A salamander is a small amphibian that looks a lot like a lizard and lives mainly on land. They look cute in a terrarium and less cute on your bathroom floor. Originally, the salamander was believed to have an amazing ability: that it could survive fire, and some said it lived in fire. That turned out to be a myth, but the salamander does possess the ability to live on land or in water, because it is an amphibian. Salamanders look a lot like lizards and a little like newts. They live most of the time on the land and only go into water when it's time to breed.

Example Sentences

"Superficially, Arenaerpeton looks a lot like the modern Chinese Giant Salamander, especially in the shape of its head," Mr. Hart says.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

In appearance, the creature may remind people of a modern Chinese Giant Salamander, particularly when looking at its head shape.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

A so-called "Salamander Tap" can be used to temporarily shut down a blast furnace by drilling a hole to remove any remaining hot metal.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2025

“Whatever I take on, I’m going to take it on at 100 percent,” said Johnson, who has also developed the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg.

From Washington Post • Aug. 17, 2022

To most other people, I was Sal, and to a few boys who thought they were especially amusing, I was Salamander.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

Related Words

• frog
• toad