olm (əʊlm, ɒlm) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| See also mud puppy a pale blind eel-like salamander, Proteus anguinus, of underground streams in SE Europe, that retains its larval form throughout its life: family Proteidae | |
| [C20: from German] | |
olm
blind salamander belonging to the family Proteidae (order Caudata). It lives in the subterranean streams in karst areas of the Adriatic coast from northeastern Italy southward into Montenegro. As an aquatic cave dweller, the olm has lost its skin pigmentation, and its vestigial but light-sensitive eyes are covered with skin. It retains numerous larval traits, such as well-developed gills, a lateral line system, and tiny limbs. The olm grows to about 30 cm (12 inches) long and has a normally white (unpigmented) body, red gill plumes, a narrow head, and a blunt snout
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| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |