salamander
noun
sal·a·man·der
ˈsa-lə-ˌman-dər 
also ˌsa-lə-ˈman-
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 or Urodela) 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: such as
a
: a cooking utensil for browning a food (such as pastry or pudding)
b
: a portable stove
c
: a cooking device with an overhead heat source like a broiler
5
: a mass of unfused material (such as metallic iron or partially reduced ore) in the hearth of a blast furnace
6
: the pocket gophers (genus Geomys) of the southeastern U.S.
Examples of salamander in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The new map was like a jigsaw puzzle, with one district resembling a misshapen salamander.
—
Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
The word itself comes from Eldridge Gerry, who, while governor of Massachusetts in 1812, designed a voting district that supposedly looked like a salamander, hence gerrymander.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Mike Fiebig, southwest river protection director for the nonprofit American Rivers, told Outside that, although the CECs were found in small amounts, the findings are concerning for animals that depend on the springs, especially frogs and salamanders.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
Those non-native species can introduce potentially fatal diseases into the ecosystem, killing off other frogs, or even snakes and salamanders.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for salamander
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Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
The word itself comes from Eldridge Gerry, who, while governor of Massachusetts in 1812, designed a voting district that supposedly looked like a salamander, hence gerrymander.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Mike Fiebig, southwest river protection director for the nonprofit American Rivers, told Outside that, although the CECs were found in small amounts, the findings are concerning for animals that depend on the springs, especially frogs and salamanders.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
Those non-native species can introduce potentially fatal diseases into the ecosystem, killing off other frogs, or even snakes and salamanders.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for salamander
Cite this Entry
“Salamander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salamander. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
salamander
noun
sal·a·man·der
ˈsal-ə-ˌman-dər
1
: an imaginary creature not harmed by fire
2
: any of an order of amphibians that are covered with scaleless usually smooth moist skin and look like lizards
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