salamander
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old French salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Greek σαλαμάνδρα. Originating from Persian سمندر (samandar): sām = fire, andarūn = within, as it was thought to be able to walk through fire.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
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salamander (plural salamanders)
- A (usually) terrestrial amphibian, resembling a lizard; taxonomic order Urodela
- (mythology) A creature much like a lizard that is resistant to and lives in fire, hence the elemental being of fire.
- (cooking) A metal utensil with a flat head which is heated and put over a dish to brown the top.
- 1977: 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. — Richard Daunton-Fear and Penelope Vigar, Australian Colonial Cookery, Rigby, 1977, ISBN 0-7270-0187-6, page 41 (discussing 19th century cookery)
- (cooking) In a professional kitchen a small broiler, used primarily for browning.
- The chef first put the steak under the salamander to sear the outside.
[edit] Translations
amphibian
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mythical creature
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metal utensil
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small broiler
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[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
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Present participle |
to salamander (third-person singular simple present salamanders, present participle salamandering, simple past and past participle salamandered)
- To apply a salamander (flat iron utensil above) in a cooking process.
- 19th C.: When cold, sprinkle the custard thickly with sugar and salamander it. — a 19th century crème brûlée recipe quoted in Richard Daunton-Fear and Penelope Vigar, Australian Colonial Cookery, Rigby, 1977, ISBN 0-7270-0187-6, page 41
[edit] Dutch
[edit] Noun
salamander (plural salamanders, diminutive salamandertje, diminutive plural salamandertjes) m.
