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

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Etymology

Origin of axolotl

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

axolotl axolotls

For Helena Nicoleti, 8, who wore a T-shirt featuring a capybara drinking bubble tea to the zoo, seeing Kiwi was a highlight, along with the lion and the Mexican axolotl.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

"Many times, scientists work in their silos: we're just working in axolotl, or we're just working in mouse, or just working in fish," Currie said.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

"This significant research brought together three labs, working across three organisms to compare regeneration," said Wake Forest Assistant Professor of Biology Josh Currie, whose lab studies the Mexican axolotl salamander.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

It is the first documented discovery of an axolotl in the wild in the UK with only 50 to 1,000 individuals left globally today, according to experts.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Besides possessing lungs as well as the mud-fish, they retain throughout life regular gills like the still-living proteus and axolotl.

From Was Man Created? by Henry A. (Henry Augustus) Mott

The aquarium has helped more than 3,300 trafficked animals, including corals, reptiles, fish and axolotls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Scientists studying axolotls, zebrafish, and mice have uncovered a shared set of genes that could someday help researchers develop therapies for regrowing human limbs.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

Emma said she had done her research before getting the animals and now has four tanks - but caring for axolotls has actually been much more complicated than she anticipated.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

Sikes has been working with acoels for about 20 years, and their symbiotic relationship differentiates them from other animals that regenerate, like planarian flatworms and axolotls.

From Science Daily ● May 15, 2024

In the little tank below, where the water lies so clear that everything is visible upon its bottom, one may see axolotls creeping.

From In Indian Mexico (1908) by Frederick Starr

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