salamander
salamander — noun
- salamandersingular
- salamandersplural
1. a small creature with a long body and smooth, damp skin that spends time in wet
a small creature with a long body and smooth, damp skin that spends time in wet places and on land, similar in shape to a lizard but having no scales
A biology teacher showed her class a spotted salamander found beneath a wet log.
adjective + salamander (spotted salamander)
Nora spotted a spotted salamander crawling across the wet garden path after sunset.
spotted salamander crawling across [surface]
During a warm spring rain, salamanders cross the road to reach their breeding pond.
Yuki keeps a tiger salamander in a glass tank with damp soil and water.
The zookeeper sprayed water inside the glass tank where the salamanders were hiding.
- newt
a type of salamander that spends most of its life in water; newts are a subgroup within the salamander family
文法句型
salamander + verb
adjective + salamander
用法筆記
Frequently used with a descriptive adjective before the word, such as spotted salamander, tiger salamander, or fire salamander, which refer to specific species. The plural form salamanders is common when discussing the animal group as a whole.
常見錯誤
2. a kitchen appliance that uses a very hot overhead heating element to brown, melt
a kitchen appliance that uses a very hot overhead heating element to brown, melt, or cook the top surface of food, commonly found in restaurant kitchens
The chef slid the cheese-covered pasta under the salamander to brown the top until bubbling.
prepositional pattern: under the salamander
A salamander reaches higher temperatures than an oven grill, so food cooks in seconds.
Nellie used the salamander to glaze a crème brûlée, watching the sugar turn brown.
Professional kitchens usually keep a salamander mounted on the wall above the food preparation counter.
- broiler
a more general term for overhead cooking; a salamander is a specific type of high-heat broiler
- overhead grill
British English term for a similar appliance; a salamander operates at higher temperatures
文法句型
under the salamander
salamander + verb
用法筆記
Almost always singular in reference to the equipment (the salamander). In the food industry it is also called a salamander broiler or overhead grill. Not to be confused with a standard household broiler, which operates at lower temperatures.
常見錯誤
3. an imaginary animal from old stories that people thought could walk through flam
an imaginary animal from old stories that people thought could walk through flames and survive without getting burned
Pliny the Elder wrote that the salamander could live in fire and put out flames with its body.
Pliny the Elder (Natural History) — earliest written record of the myth
Paracelsus, a Renaissance alchemist, called the salamander the elemental spirit that lives in fire.
elemental spirit representing fire in folklore
Kofi read about a salamander that made its nest inside a burning fireplace.
Renaissance paintings sometimes showed a salamander surrounded by flames as a symbol of protection.
- fire-drake
a dragon-like mythical creature associated with fire, more poetic and less specific than salamander
- fire elemental
a broader term for any mythical spirit representing fire, of which the salamander is one example
文法句型
mythical salamander
salamander + of + fire
用法筆記
This mythological sense is the origin of the animal's name — the real amphibian was later named after the mythical creature because both were associated with fire in early beliefs. Often appears in fantasy literature and historical bestiaries.