Definition of "salamander" in English

noun

1. A long, slender, chiefly terrestrial amphibian of the order Caudata, superficially resembling a lizard.

2. (mythology) A creature much like a lizard that is resistant to and lives in fire (in which it is often depicted in heraldry), hence the elemental being of fire.

3. (cooking) A metal utensil with a flat head which is heated and put over a dish to brown the top.

   • The salamander, a fairly long metal utensil with a flat rounded head, was left in the fire until red hot and then used to brown the top of a dish without further cooking.

4. (cooking) A small broiler (North America) or grill (Britain) that heats the food from above, used in professional cookery primarily for browning.

   • The chef first put the steak under the salamander to sear the outside.

5. (archaic) A pouched gopher (Geomys pinetis etc.)

6. (UK, obsolete) A large poker.

7. (metallurgy, uncountable) Solidified material in a furnace hearth.

8. (construction) A portable stove used to heat or dry buildings under construction.

9. (UK, slang, obsolete) A fire-eater (performer who pretends to swallow fire).

verb

1. (transitive) To use a salamander (cooking utensil) in a cooking process.