hellbender

[hel-ben-der]

noun

1. a large salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, of rivers and streams in eastern North America, having a flat, stout body and broad head.

2. Informal.,  a reckless or headstrong person.

hellbender

/ ˈhɛlˌbɛndə /

noun

1. a very large dark grey aquatic salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, with internal gills: inhabits rivers in E and central US: family Cryptobranchidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of hellbender¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; hell + bender

Example Sentences

Changes to the hellbenders' environment may have turned this once beneficial adaptation into a harmful evolutionary trap, Klug says.

Read more on Scientific American

A world without elephants, hellbender salamanders and the million other species at risk of extinction in the coming decades would be deeply impoverished.

Read more on Scientific American

The hellbender salamander has been called a lot of things.

Read more on New York Times

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confirmed 3,500 dead fish in waterways as well as deceased hellbender salamanders, an endangered species in the state.

Read more on Salon

Ecologically, one concern is for hellbenders, a prehistoric-looking aquatic salamander that can reach two feet long and is endangered in Ohio.

Read more on New York Times