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

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Etymology

Origin of salamander

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

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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

Determining which molecule produces the glow could help explain how the fluorescence develops and whether it plays a meaningful role in salamander behavior or survival.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

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

He pulled out his igniter, felt the salamander etched on its silver disc, gave it a flick...

From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

Researchers have not yet determined its chemical identity, although the evidence suggests it may be a molecule not previously recognized in fire salamanders.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

New research has revealed that fire salamanders possess an unexpected ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet light.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

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

The miracle behind Cruz’s discovery is that amphibians such as frogs, toads and salamanders rarely make it into the fossil records because of their fragile skeletons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

There were salamanders and frogs to keep him busy.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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Related Words

• frog
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