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sal·a·man·der (sălə-măn′dər)
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n.
1. Any of various small, tailed amphibians of the order Caudata, having porous scaleless skin and usually two pairs of limbs of equal size, found chiefly in northern temperate regions.
2.
a. A mythical creature, generally resembling a lizard, believed capable of living in or withstanding fire.
b. In the occult philosophy of Paracelsus, a being having fire as its element.
3. An object, such as a poker, used in fire or capable of withstanding heat.
4. Metallurgy A mass of solidified material, largely metallic, left in a blast-furnace hearth.
5. A portable stove used to heat or dry buildings under construction.
[Middle English salamandre, from Old French, from Latin salamandra, from Greek.]
sal′a·mandrine (-drĭn) adj.
(click for a larger image)
salamander
fire salamander
Salamandra salamandra
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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