Illustration of Gila monster
: a large, stout, venomous lizard (Heloderma suspectum) that has rough, bumpy, black and orange, pinkish, or yellowish skin, a thick tail, and venom glands in the lower lip and that is found especially in arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico
Examples of Gila monster in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These drugs exist because someone studied the Gila monster, a lizard that eats only a few times a year.
—
Sudhir Chaturvedi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
About the size of a raccoon, this large lizard was an ancestor of the Gila monster — a venomous lizard found in the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2025
To take one example, biologists studying the venom of a Gila monster found a hormone that is the basis of the new generation of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
For example, studies of the venom of a giant lizard called a Gila monster led to the development of the blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, now used for weight loss and diabetes.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025
Scientists found that the toxin from Gila monster lizards seemed to have particular physiological effects, helping lead eventually to one of the world’s most profitable and promising drugs.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The Gila monster, which is native to the deserts of North America, can survive on just a few meals a year, thanks to a digestion-slowing hormone in its venom.
—Emily Elconin, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
And my favorite 'fun fact' – it's inspired by Gila monster venom.
—New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2024
Colorado man died from pet Gila monster’s venomous bite, autopsy shows
Monterey Bay Aquarium.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sudhir Chaturvedi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
About the size of a raccoon, this large lizard was an ancestor of the Gila monster — a venomous lizard found in the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2025
To take one example, biologists studying the venom of a Gila monster found a hormone that is the basis of the new generation of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
For example, studies of the venom of a giant lizard called a Gila monster led to the development of the blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, now used for weight loss and diabetes.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025
Scientists found that the toxin from Gila monster lizards seemed to have particular physiological effects, helping lead eventually to one of the world’s most profitable and promising drugs.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The Gila monster, which is native to the deserts of North America, can survive on just a few meals a year, thanks to a digestion-slowing hormone in its venom.
—Emily Elconin, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
And my favorite 'fun fact' – it's inspired by Gila monster venom.
—New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2024
Colorado man died from pet Gila monster’s venomous bite, autopsy shows
Monterey Bay Aquarium.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Gila monster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gila%20monster. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Gila monster
noun
Gi·la monster
ˌhē-lə- 
: a large orange and black poisonous lizard of the southwestern U.S.
also
: a related Mexican lizard
Etymology
from Gila, name of a river in Arizona
Medical Definition
Gila monster
noun
Gi·la monster
ˈhē-lə-
: a large orange and black venomous lizard of the genus Heloderma (H. suspectum) of the southwestern United States
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share