gecko

noun

ˈge-(ˌ)kō 

plural geckos also geckoes

: any of numerous small chiefly tropical and nocturnal insectivorous lizards (family Gekkonidae)

Illustration of gecko

Examples of gecko in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Multiply it across roughly a half-million setae per foot, each branching into hundreds of contact points, and the combined force is enough to let a gecko hang from a single toe or sprint upside down across a ceiling. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Vargas is survived by his loving parents, Michael and Alicia Vargas; his sisters, Briana Gidney, and Marissa Allison Vargas; a host of other family members, friends, and his beloved pet, Piccolo, a sunglow leopard gecko. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Jeff has really been supportive of and promoting the giant gecko and snakes. — Ben Rosenstock, Time, 18 May 2026

Dylan, who shares a room with a leopard gecko, is still steeped in the unambiguous stuff of kid-world. — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Malay dialect geʔkok

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gecko

• deco
• echo
• derecho

Kids Definition

gecko

noun

ˈgek-ō 

plural geckos or geckoes

: any of numerous small harmless chiefly tropical lizards that eat insects and are active at night