hellbender
[hel-ben-der]
- 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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Origin of hellbender
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
hellbender
- a very large dark grey aquatic salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, with internal gills: inhabits rivers in E and central US: family Cryptobranchidae
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for hell-bender
hellbender
n.
large salamander of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, 1812, supposedly so called for its ugliness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper