First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
salamander
noun sal·a·man·der \ˈsa-lə-ˌman-dər also ˌsa-lə-ˈ\
: a small animal that looks like a lizard with smooth skin and that lives both on land and in water
Full Definition of SALAMANDER
1
: a mythical animal having the power to endure fire without harm
2
: an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus inhabiting fire
3
: any of numerous amphibians (order Caudata) superficially resembling lizards but scaleless and covered with a soft moist skin and breathing by gills in the larval stage
4
: an article used in connection with fire: as a : a cooking utensil for browning a food (as pastry or pudding) b : a portable stove c : a cooking device with an overhead heat source like a broiler
— sal·a·man·drine \ˌsa-lə-ˈman-drən\ adjective
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Origin of SALAMANDER
Middle English salamandre, from Anglo-French, from Latin salamandra, from Greek
SALAMANDER Defined for Kids
salamander
noun sal·a·man·der \ˈsa-lə-ˌman-dər\
Definition of SALAMANDER for Kids
: a small animal with smooth moist skin that is related to the frog but looks like a lizard
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