hellbender

American  

[hel-ben-der] / ˈhɛlˌbɛn dər /

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.

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hellbender British  

/ ˈhɛlˌbɛndə /

noun

1. 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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Etymology

Origin of hellbender

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

Example Sentences

Vegetation helps to prevent streambank erosion, keeping back salt-filled silt that changes the water chemistry and fills the gaps between gravel—where hellbender larvae live.

From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2023

Biologists who study hellbender behavior had previously noted this form of infanticide on occasion.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023

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.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2023

For his hellbender eDNA surveys, Spear used the two3 — a smartphone-based portable qPCR machine from Biomeme in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From Nature • Jun. 24, 2019

Most salamanders are tiny, only an inch or two long, but the rare and startlingly ugly hellbender salamander can attain lengths of over two feet.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson