Salem
Americannoun
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a seaport in northeastern Massachusetts: founded 1626; site of witch hunt 1692–93; home of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
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a city in and the capital of Oregon, in the northwestern part, on the Willamette River.
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a town in southeastern New Hampshire.
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a town in southwestern Virginia, near Roanoke.
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a city in eastern Ohio.
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a city in central Tamil Nadu, in southern India.
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an ancient city of Canaan, later identified with Jerusalem. Genesis 14:18; Psalms 76:2.
noun
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a city in S India, in Tamil Nadu: textile industries. Pop: 693 236 (2001)
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a city in NE Massachusetts, on the Atlantic: scene of the execution of 19 people after the witch hunts of 1692. Pop: 42 067 (2003 est)
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a city in the NW USA, the state capital of Oregon: food-processing. Pop: 142 914 (2003 est)
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an Old Testament name for Jerusalem (Genesis 14:18; Psalms 76:2) See Jerusalem
Etymology
Origin of Salem
From Late Latin Salem, from Greek Salḗm, from Hebrew Shālēm, a name of uncertain origin and meaning, but traditionally interpreted as a synonym of Jerusalem and associated in meaning with shālōm “peace”; see also Jerusalem ( def. )
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.
By his own account, Piker is now preparing a defamation suit against Jennings and Salem Media, and possibly Fox News, which cited the same debunked compilation.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
Originally part of Salem, Mass., the area was settled by the English in 1629.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Maritime trade tracking firm Kpler identified the damaged ships as the Energos Winter storage and regasification vessel and the GasLog Salem tanker, saying they had been moved offshore after the incident.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
“Our hosts have built their careers by saying exactly what they think, not by reading from someone else’s script,” Salem Chief Executive David Santrella said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
“You say good-by to your man. His ship stands out from Salem Harbor. Then the months pass—sometimes the years—with no word from him.”
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
