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monitor lizard
noun
: any of various tropical carnivorous lizards (genus Varanus of the family Varanidae) of Australia, Asia, and Africa
Examples of monitor lizard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today's top stories: → Hear 911 calls that helped Fort Worth police find kidnapping suspect
→ Man offers reward for missing exotic monitor lizard
→ Parents buy, sell, trade breast milk online
🚨Get free alerts when news breaks.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2024
The aquarium features a wide variety of marine life, from water-dwellers like sharks, jellyfish and dolphins to ocean-adjacent species like puffins, turtles and monitor lizards.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2024
Like most monitor lizards, Komodo dragons are carnivores and hunters by nature.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 5 July 2023
Their modern-day relatives include the monitor lizard and Komodo dragon.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 8 Sep. 2023
Now, a monitor lizard?
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2021
Some large monitor lizards actually have bigger teeth than T. rex compared to their skull size and can still fit them under a set of scaly lips, according to study author Thomas Cullen, a paleontologist and assistant professor at Auburn University.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2023
Some large monitor lizards actually have bigger teeth than T. rex compared to their skull size, and can still fit them under a set of scaly lips, Cullen said.
—Maddie Burakoff, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
During a stroll along the boardwalk, visitors can spot a plethora of birds ranging from Sunda teals to Javan bulbuls to coppersmith barbets, while massive monitor lizards stroll along the path.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monitor lizard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1856, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near monitor lizard
Cite this Entry
“Monitor lizard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monitor%20lizard. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
monitor lizard
noun
: any of various large flesh-eating lizards of very warm areas in Africa, Australia, and Asia
More from Merriam-Webster on monitor lizard
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monitor lizard
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