olm

British

/ ɒlm, əʊlm /

noun

a pale blind eel-like salamander, Proteus anguinus, of underground streams in SE Europe, that retains its larval form throughout its life: family Proteidae See also mud puppy

"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

Etymology

Origin of olm

C20: from German

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But in 2020, a group of spelunkers and ecologists, including Dr. Manenti, spotted an olm swimming in an aboveground spring.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2024

To find an olm, Dr. Manenti and his team usually have to rappel down well-like openings to reach caves including the Trebiciano abyss, about as deep as the Eiffel Tower is tall.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2024

Seven Worlds, One Planet The new episode “Europe” explores some of the 12,000 limestone caves in Slovenia, home to a rare creature called the olm, a blind salamander.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2020

This olm, a highly-adapted, blind amphibian found solely in central and south-eastern Europe's submerged caves, is now under threat from pollution and disturbance.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023