newt

[noot, nyoot]

See more synonyms for newt on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of several brilliantly colored salamanders of the family Salamandridae, especially those of the genera Triturus and Notophthalmus, of North America, Europe, and northern Asia.
any of various other small salamanders.

Origin of newt

1375–1425; late Middle English newte, for ewte (the phrase an ewte being taken as a newte; cf. nickname), variant of evet, Old English efete eft¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for newt

Contemporary Examples

This is more exciting than the Newt Gingrich congressional triumph of 1994.
The GOP Senate: A New Utopia Dawns
P. J. O’Rourke
November 8, 2014
He tried to pass healthcare reform but Newt Gingrich and the GOP-controlled House and Senate shot it down.
Bill Maher: Yes, I Can Generalize About Muslims
Marlow Stern
October 16, 2014
This was done masterfully by Newt Gingrich in the debate before the South Carolina primary.
How Red-State Democrats Can Throw Obama Under the Bus
Michael Tomasky
October 13, 2014
As you might guess, Newt is decidedly one of the people to which these agencies cater.
Your Fake Followers Are Catfishing You: Bacon Mavens, Newt’s Fake Fans, and Other Social Media Scams
Charles Seife
July 3, 2014
My CNN colleague Newt Gingrich was Republican Speaker of the House when the Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law.
Prop 8’s Conservative Fans: Where Are They Now?
Sally Kohn
June 28, 2014

Historical Examples

The new jaw, or leg, is a newt's, and never by any accident more like that of a frog.
The Origin of Species
Thomas H. Huxley
He seized Newt Elkey by the arm and said, "What does she do?"
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes
I'd like to know what Newt Copley thinks of the Barville nine.
Rival Pitchers of Oakdale
Morgan Scott
Of course every living speck, amoeba or newt, has its own individual soul.
Fantasia of the Unconscious
D. H. Lawrence
I never heard of any; but I wanted a newt, and so I proposed that we should fish here.
Ernest Bracebridge
William H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for newt

newt

noun

any of various small semiaquatic urodele amphibians, such as Triturus vulgaris (common newt) of Europe, having a long slender body and tail and short feeble legs
mainly British any other urodele amphibian, including the salamanders

Word Origin

C15: from a newt, a mistaken division of an ewt; ewt, from Old English eveta eft 1

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 newt

n.

early 15c., misdivision of an ewte (see N for other examples), from Middle English evete (see eft).

newt

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Related Words

Examples from the Web for newt

Contemporary Examples

This is more exciting than the Newt Gingrich congressional triumph of 1994.

He tried to pass healthcare reform but Newt Gingrich and the GOP-controlled House and Senate shot it down.

This was done masterfully by Newt Gingrich in the debate before the South Carolina primary.

As you might guess, Newt is decidedly one of the people to which these agencies cater.

My CNN colleague Newt Gingrich was Republican Speaker of the House when the Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law.

Historical Examples

The new jaw, or leg, is a newt's, and never by any accident more like that of a frog.

He seized Newt Elkey by the arm and said, "What does she do?"

I'd like to know what Newt Copley thinks of the Barville nine.

Of course every living speck, amoeba or newt, has its own individual soul.

I never heard of any; but I wanted a newt, and so I proposed that we should fish here.

newt

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for newt

n.

Origin of newt