hellbender

[ hel-ben-der ]

/ ˈhɛlˌbɛn dər /

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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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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. 2022

How to use hellbender in a sentence

Hell, he says Koenig never referred to it as Serial or even as a podcast.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The revelation that, at age 42, Ben Affleck has one hell of an ass.
Year of the Butt: How the Booty Changed the World in 2014|Kevin Fallon|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How the hell does somebody show up at a David Duke organized event in 2002 and claim ignorance?
No. 3 Republican Admits Talking to White Supremacist Conference|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hell, one of the Dixie Chicks even offered to Uber her balls over to the company.
Sony: Hollywood’s Most Subversive Studio Under Attack|Marlow Stern|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And, the Chilbosan would make a hell of a comedy movie; “Fawlty Towers” meets the “Great Dictator.”
Inside the ‘Surprisingly Great’ North Korean Hacker Hotel|Michael Daly|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They used to declare that every unbaptised baby would go to Hell and burn for ever in fire and brimstone.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
The city hell hounds sprang to meet them and the slaughter of inoffensive Europeans began in Darya Gunj.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
A gentleman does not call his opponents vipers and consign them to hell, but Jahveh is not under any such obligations.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Hell below was in an uproar to meet thee at thy coming, it stirred up the giants for thee.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
To escape from these horrible theories, the Christians (some of them) have thrown over the doctrines of Hell and the Devil.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for hellbender

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