/ ˈsæləmændə(r); NAmE / noun
an animal like a lizard , with short legs and a long tail, that lives both on land and in water (= is an amphibian )
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (originally referring to a mythical lizard-like creature said to live in fire): from Old French salamandre , via Latin from Greek salamandra . The current sense dates from the early 17th cent.