Salamander

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Salamander \Sal"a*man`der\, n. [F. salamandre, L. salamandra,
     Gr. ?; cf. Per. samander, samandel.]
     1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Urodela, belonging
        to {Salamandra}, {Amblystoma}, {Plethodon}, and various
        allied genera, especially those that are more or less
        terrestrial in their habits.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The salamanders have, like lizards, an elongated body,
           four feet, and a long tail, but are destitute of
           scales. They are true Amphibia, related to the frogs.
           Formerly, it was a superstition that the salamander
           could live in fire without harm, and even extinguish it
           by the natural coldness of its body.
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                 I have maintained that salamander of yours with
                 fire any time this two and thirty years. --Shak.
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                 Whereas it is commonly said that a salamander
                 extinguisheth fire, we have found by experience
                 that on hot coals, it dieth immediately. --Sir T.
                                                    Browne.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) The pouched gopher ({Geomys tuza}) of the Southern
        United States.
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     3. A culinary utensil of metal with a plate or disk which is
        heated, and held over pastry, etc., to brown it.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A large poker. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
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     5. (Metal.) Solidified material in a furnace hearth.
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     {Giant salamander}. (Zool.) See under {Giant}.
  
     {Salamander's hair} or {Salamander's wool} (Min.), a species
        of asbestos or mineral flax. [Obs.] --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  salamander
       n 1: any of various typically terrestrial amphibians that
            resemble lizards and that return to water only to breed
       2: reptilian creature supposed to live in fire
       3: fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to
          stir a fire [syn: {poker}, {stove poker}, {fire hook}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  43 Moby Thesaurus words for "salamander":
     amphibian, andiron, batrachian, bullfrog, chain, coal tongs, crane,
     croaker, crook, damper, elemental, elemental spirit, fire hook,
     fire tongs, firedog, frog, gnome, grate, grating, grid, griddle,
     gridiron, grill, griller, hoppytoad, hoptoad, lifter, newt,
     paddock, poker, polliwog, pothook, spit, sylph, tadpole, toad,
     tongs, tree frog, tree toad, tripod, trivet, turnspit, undine
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  SALAMANDER, n.  Originally a reptile inhabiting fire; later, an
  anthropomorphous immortal, but still a pyrophile.  Salamanders are now
  believed to be extinct, the last one of which we have an account
  having been seen in Carcassonne by the Abbe Belloc, who exorcised it
  with a bucket of holy water.