First recorded in English around 1780–90.
Comes from the Nahuatl word āxōlōtl.
The word āxōlōtl combines ā(tl), meaning \"water\" and xōlōtl, which means \"page or attendant.\"
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF AXOLOTL\r\n

Mexican lakes and ponds provide the perfect habitat for the axolotl to thrive in its unique larval form.
Scientists study the axolotl to better understand regeneration capabilities in amphibians.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/A08/A0862800.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"noun","data":"any of several salamanders that inhabit lakes and ponds of Mexico and remain in the larval stage as sexually mature adults."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/axolotl_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"QJdytyfgk6rJe-jvVk43F","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"phlogiston","entry":"phlogiston"},{"slug":"phlogopite","entry":"phlogopite"},{"slug":"phlorizin","entry":"phlorizin"},{"slug":"phloroglucinol","entry":"phloroglucinol"},{"slug":"phlox","entry":"phlox"}],"after":[{"slug":"phls","entry":"PHLS"},{"slug":"phlyctena","entry":"phlyctena"},{"slug":"ph-m-","entry":"Phm."},{"slug":"phnom-penh","entry":"Phnom Penh"},{"slug":"pho","entry":"pho"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"phlox-family"},"requestId":"Kn9UblbhvnG1SsHEdODnh","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"phlox-family"},"requestId":"LbXVltpRqrGz3ezbkBetZ","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"phlox family","slug":"phlox-family"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"the plant family Polemoniaceae, characterized by herbaceous or sometimes shrubby plants having simple or compound leaves, flowers with a five-lobed corolla, and capsular fruit, and including gilia, Jacob's-ladder, moss pink, and phlox.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":null,"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"phlox-family"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"phlox-family"},"requestId":"MrvX8cxtw8_ioHlrYbx5N","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"phlox-family","displayForm":"phlox family","canonicalSlug":"phlox-family","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e725cdd.7a47","type":"normal","entry":"phlox family","entrySyllabified":"phlox family","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"the plant family Polemoniaceae, characterized by herbaceous or sometimes shrubby plants having simple or compound leaves, flowers with a five-lobed corolla, and capsular fruit, and including gilia, Jacob's-ladder, moss pink, and phlox.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":117308,"index-rank-01":["phlox family"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["phlox families","phlox families'","phlox family's"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"complexityScore":0.5513012187277109,"gradeLevel":"post_college","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"phlox-family"},"requestId":"5ttVv5lMwtXb5e4sZcFQI","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":["flax","flex","flux","velox","helix","phalanx","fox","lax","bollox","phlegm","flog"],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"flax","slug":"flax"},{"displayForm":"flex","slug":"flex"},{"displayForm":"flux","slug":"flux"},{"displayForm":"velox","slug":"velox"},{"displayForm":"helix","slug":"helix"},{"displayForm":"phalanx","slug":"phalanx"},{"displayForm":"fox","slug":"fox"},{"displayForm":"lax","slug":"lax"},{"displayForm":"bollox","slug":"bollox"},{"displayForm":"phlegm","slug":"phlegm"},{"displayForm":"flog","slug":"flog"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"phlox-family"},"requestId":"IbS7S4KARMOWACDX9OEq7","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

phlox family

noun

Word of the Day