salamander

American  

[sal-uh-man-der] / ˈsæl əˌmæn dər /

noun

• salamanders
  plural

1. any tailed amphibian of the order Caudata, having a soft, moist, scaleless skin, typically aquatic as a larva and semiterrestrial as an adult: several species are endangered.

2. a mythical being, especially a lizard or other reptile, thought to be able to live in fire.

3. any of various portable stoves or burners.

4. Metallurgy. a mass of iron that accumulates at the bottom of a blast furnace as a result of the escape of molten metal through the hearth.

5. a metal plate or disk with a handle, heated and held over pastry, casserole crusts, etc., to brown or glaze it.

6. an oven usually heated from the top and bottom by gas, for cooking, browning, and glazing food.

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salamander British  

/ ˈsæləˌmændə /

noun

1. any of various urodele amphibians, such as Salamandra salamandra ( European fire salamander ) of central and S Europe (family Salamandridae ). They are typically terrestrial, have an elongated body, and only return to water to breed

2. any urodele amphibian

3. a mythical reptile supposed to live in fire

4. an elemental fire-inhabiting being

5. any person or thing able to exist in fire or great heat

6. metallurgy a residue of metal and slag deposited on the walls of a furnace

7. a portable stove used to dry out a building under construction

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Synonym Usage

See sylph.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• salamanderlike
  adjective
• salamandrine
  adjective
• salamandroid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• salamanders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of salamander

1300–50; Middle English salamandre from Latin salamandra from Greek salamándrā

Explanation

A salamander is a small amphibian that looks a lot like a lizard and lives mainly on land. They look cute in a terrarium and less cute on your bathroom floor. Originally, the salamander was believed to have an amazing ability: that it could survive fire, and some said it lived in fire. That turned out to be a myth, but the salamander does possess the ability to live on land or in water, because it is an amphibian. Salamanders look a lot like lizards and a little like newts. They live most of the time on the land and only go into water when it's time to breed.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

salamander salamanders

Based on comparisons with related species, researchers think Tanyka may have resembled a salamander with a slightly longer snout.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026

Mexicans have plenty of spiritual animalistic icons and regional exclusives that make sense, from the endangered axolotl salamander to Xoloitzcuintle, a hairless dog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

But like the axolotl, the salamander she studied, this program is critically endangered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025

Aztec legend has it that the creature is a god in salamander form - the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, disguised as a salamander.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2025

Most of the workers did their jobs quickly and then gathered in little groups to play cards or have salamander races or just talk and sleep.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

It houses diverse wildlife, according to the Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association, such as frogs and salamanders, and - like the rest of the lake and its shoreline - is legally protected by state laws.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

While creatures such as salamanders can regenerate entire limbs, humans typically heal injuries by forming scar tissue.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026

Somewhat ironically, these charismatic salamanders are found in the world's laboratories and pet aquariums in their hundreds of thousands.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2025

Casa Apocalyptica is full of salamanders, birds, dragonflies and koi amid native plants and soothing water features.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2024

“They seem, like salamanders, to consider fire as their element.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• frog
• toad