I. ˈsaləˌmandə(r), -maan- sometimes ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English salamandre, from Middle French, from Latin salamandra, from Greek
1.
a. : an animal somewhat like a lizard formerly held to be able to live in fire
b. : a mythical and not clearly defined animal having the power to endure fire without harm
c. : a being inhabiting the element fire in the medieval theory of elementals especially as formulated by Paracelsus — compare gnome , sylph , undine
2. : any of various chiefly small amphibians that comprise the order Caudata, superficially resemble lizards but are scaleless and covered with a soft moist skin, are usually semiterrestrial as adults living in moist dark places but mostly pass through an aquatic larval stage during which they breathe by gills, are wholly inoffensive to man, and feed on small animals (as aquatic worms and insects) — see giant salamander , hellbender 1, newt
3. : any of various articles used in connection with fire: as
a. : a metal disk or plate heated and held over a food (as pastry or pudding) to brown the top of it
b. or salamander stove : a small portable stove having no chimney and often burning coke or oil that is used to keep materials (as concrete or plaster) from freezing during the construction of a building or to provide temporary heat for a greenhouse in cases of emergency
c. : a small portable incinerator (as a wire basket)
d. dialect chiefly England : a large poker
e. : an iron used red hot for igniting certain substances (as gunpowder)
4. : the pocket gopher ( Geomys tuza ) of the southeastern United States
5. : a mass of unfused material (as metallic iron or partially reduced ore) in the hearth of a blast furnace — called also shadrach, sow
II. noun
: a cooking device with an overhead heat source like a broiler