Definition of "salamander" [sal•a•man•der]

• Any of various small lizardlike amphibians of the order Caudata, having porous scaleless skin and four, often weak or rudimentary legs. (noun)
• A mythical creature, generally resembling a lizard, believed capable of living in or withstanding fire. (noun)
• In the occult philosophy of Paracelsus, a being having fire as its element. (noun)
• An object, such as a poker, used in fire or capable of withstanding heat. (noun)
• Metallurgy A mass of solidified material, largely metallic, left in a blast-furnace hearth. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "No one knows how the term salamander transferred from a mythical fire-dwelling monster to the small amphibious animals it applies to today, but I have a theory."
• "The salamander was a mythical creature before it was a real one: the word salamander means a legendary lizard that both survived-in and could extinguish fire."
• "The salamander is among 37 species found for the first in the time in wildlife reserve during a study of its amphibians and reptiles sponsored by the BRT programme."