noun B1 Intermediate Common

salmon

SA-muhn

Salmon (noun) means a large fish with silvery sides and pink flesh that swims from the sea into rivers to spawn. Example: “The bears gathered at the river to catch salmon as they swam upstream.”

noun

A large fish with silvery sides and pink flesh that swims from the sea into rivers to spawn.

"The bears gathered at the river to catch salmon as they swam upstream."

"We had grilled salmon with a lemon butter sauce for dinner."

adj

A pale pinkish-orange colour, like cooked salmon flesh.

"She painted the bedroom walls a soft salmon colour."

How to use salmon

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA pink-fleshed fish prized for eating, or the pale pink-orange colour named after it.

Common pairings

smoked salmon salmon fillet a salmon-pink dress

Word forms

salmoned past tense, salmon plural, salmons plural, salmons singular

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The bears gathered at the river to catch _____ as they swam upstream.

Etymology

From Old French saumon, from Latin salmo. The silent "l" was added later by scholars trying to make the spelling look more Latin, the same trend that gave us the silent letters in "debt" and "receipt."

Origin: Latin

Frequently asked questions

What does “salmon” mean?

The word “salmon” means a large fish with silvery sides and pink flesh that swims from the sea into rivers to spawn. In plain terms, a pink-fleshed fish prized for eating, or the pale pink-orange colour named after it.

How do you pronounce “salmon”?

“Salmon” is pronounced SA-muhn (/ˈsæmən/ in IPA).

How do you use “salmon” in a sentence?

Here is “salmon” used in a sentence: “The bears gathered at the river to catch salmon as they swam upstream.”

What part of speech is “salmon”?

Depending on how it is used, “salmon” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “salmon” come from?

The word “salmon” comes from Latin. From Old French saumon, from Latin salmo. The silent "l" was added later by scholars trying to make the spelling look more Latin, the same trend that gave us the silent letters in "debt" and "receipt.".

Is “salmon” a common word?

“Salmon” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “salmon” have?

“Salmon” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large fish with silvery sides and pink flesh that swims from the sea into rivers to spawn.

What is the plural of salmon?

The plural of salmon is salmon, with no -s: "she caught three salmon." The form "salmons" appears only rarely, when referring to different species or kinds of salmon.

Is salmon a shade of pink or orange?

Salmon sits between the two: it is a pale pinkish-orange named after the colour of cooked salmon flesh. It is warmer and more orange than standard pink, but softer and pinker than true orange.

Why do salmon swim from the sea into rivers?

Salmon migrate from the sea into rivers to spawn — that is, to breed and lay their eggs in freshwater. This upstream journey to their breeding grounds is the behaviour the fish is best known for.

Can salmon be used as an adjective?

Yes. Salmon works as a colour adjective, as in "a salmon shirt," and it also appears in the compounds "salmon-pink" and "salmon-coloured," which describe the same pale pinkish-orange shade.