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.
2.
any of various other small salamanders.
Origin
1375-1425;late Middle Englishnewte, for ewte (the phrase an ewte being taken as a newte; cf. nickname), variant of evet,Old Englishefeteeft1
Examples from the web for newt
Among others at risk: wild ginseng, orchids and the crocodile newt.
The newt changes shape as it grows, and the adult newt doesn't have these feathery gills.
Five were identical to sequences in chicken collagen, while frog and newt collagen tied for the next closest matches.
The central newt is a unique critter with three different phases.
British Dictionary definitions for newt
newt
/njuːt/
noun
1.
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
2.
(mainly Brit) any other urodele amphibian, including the salamanders
Word Origin
C15: from a newt, a mistaken division of an ewt; ewt, from Old English evetaeft1
Word Origin and History for newt
n.
early 15c., misdivision of an ewte (see N for other examples), from Middle English evete (see eft).
Slang definitions & phrases for newt
newt
noun
An uninteresting person; also, a stupid person: Be practical, you newt