salamander

[sal-uh-man-der] /ˈsæl əˌmæn dər/
noun
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.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English salamandre < Latin salamandra < Greek salamándrā
Related forms
salamanderlike, adjective
salamandrine
[sal-uh-man-drin] /ˌsæl əˈmæn drɪn/ (Show IPA), adjective
salamandroid, adjective
Synonyms
2. See sylph.
Examples from the web for salamander
  • Go underground and meet this salamander that's both large and common, yet so secretive it's rarely seen.
  • The park is the perfect place for salamander lovers especially.
  • It isn't quite salamander territory, but it's astonishingly close.
  • Immediately she sleeps with her boyfriend and, the next day, gives birth to a radioactive salamander.
  • So dollars spent on the charismatic panda can have an equally beneficial effect on the obscure giant salamander.
  • Next he wants to tackle something more complicated, such as a scuttling salamander or a gliding manta ray.
  • In winter, gardeners had to crank down all the vents and bring in the salamander heaters.
  • We have more salamander species than any place on the planet.
  • When a salamander loses a leg, specialized epithelial cells cover the wound, forming a multilayered structure.
  • That's because the species' main predator, the marbled salamander, is limited in the size of prey it can swallow.
British Dictionary definitions for salamander

salamander

/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.
(mainly US & Canadian) 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
Derived Forms
salamandrine (ˌsæləˈmændrɪn) adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Old French salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Greek
Word Origin and History for salamander
n.

mid-14c., "legendary lizard-like creature that can live in fire," from Old French salamandre "legendary fiery beast," also "cricket" (12c.), from Latin salamandra, from Greek salamandra, probably of eastern origin.

The application in zoology to a tailed amphibian (known natively as an eft or newt) is first recorded 1610s. Aristotle, and especially Pliny, are responsible for the fiction of an animal that thrives in and extinguishes fires. The eft lives in damp logs and secretes a milky substance when threatened, but there is no obvious natural explanation its connection with the myth.

Also used 18c. for "a woman who lives chastely in the midst of temptations" (after Addison), and "a soldier who exposes himself to fire in battle." To rub someone a salamander was a 19c. form of German student drinking toast (einem einen salamander reiben). Related: Salamandrine; salamandroid.