hellbender

[ hel-ben-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a large salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, of rivers and streams in eastern North America, having a flat, stout body and broad head.
Informal. a reckless or headstrong person.

hellbender

/ ˈhɛlˌbɛndə /

a very large dark grey aquatic salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, with internal gills: inhabits rivers in E and central US: family Cryptobranchidae

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; hell + bender

Hellbender salamanders, for instance, are coated in mucus that helps them slip away from predators.

He read of a rumored Police Department shake up, and he could afford to smile at the vitality of that hellbender-like report.

There are several kinds in North America, some of which, as the hellbender, are a foot or more in length.

But little smaller, and even more ugly in appearance, is the "hellbender," representing the family Amphiumid.

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