Salmon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsæmən/

Definitions

1. A pink-fleshed fish that swims upstream to spawn, commonly found in both ocean and freshwater environments
2. A species of fish with a characteristic pink coloration that undergoes seasonal migrations from ocean habitats to freshwater rivers for reproduction
3. A type of fish known for its pinkish flesh and its remarkable journey from oceanic waters to riverine environments for the purpose of spawning

Etymology: The fish's name carries a silent letter that was added by scholars, not speakers. Middle English had "samoun" and "saumon," borrowed through Anglo-Norman and Old French from Latin "salmō," but the older English word for the fish was "leax," which survives today only in dialect use. Writers later put back an "l" that had never been pronounced in the Latin-derived forms, making the spelling look more like its classical root. Other English words show the same habit, such as "debt," "indict," and "receipt," where a silent letter was inserted to match Latin spelling. The fish has also given its name to a slang verb. To "salmon" in the sense of riding a bicycle the wrong way down a one-way street alludes to the fish swimming upstream against the current of a river to spawn.

Synonyms: fish, trout, tuna, mackerel, sardine