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definitions

hellbender

[ hel-ben-der ]
/ ˈhɛlˌbɛn dər /

noun

a large salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, of rivers and streams in eastern North America, having a flat, stout body and broad head.
Informal. a reckless or headstrong person.

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Nearby words

  1. hell-raiser,
  2. hella,
  3. hellacious,
  4. helladic,
  5. hellas,
  6. hellbent,
  7. hellbox,
  8. hellbroth,
  9. hellcat,
  10. helldiver

Origin of hellbender

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; hell + bender
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for hell-bender

hellbender

/ (ˈhɛlˌbɛndə) /

noun

a very large dark grey aquatic salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, with internal gills: inhabits rivers in E and central US: family Cryptobranchidae
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for hell-bender

hellbender

n.

large salamander of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, 1812, supposedly so called for its ugliness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper