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
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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
This class of drugs was first developed in the 1990s when scientists identified a hormone-like molecule in the venom of a Gila monster, a lizard native to the American Southwest, that stimulated insulin secretion.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024
To survive the harsh, hot conditions of its desert environment, the Gila monster also undergoes periods of estivation during the peak of summer.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024
Maricopa County, the largest county in Arizona, ended up with a colorful Gila monster (a species of lizard) sticker, while Ulster County in New York voted in a spirited illustration of a human head on a spider's body.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 25 July 2024
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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
This class of drugs was first developed in the 1990s when scientists identified a hormone-like molecule in the venom of a Gila monster, a lizard native to the American Southwest, that stimulated insulin secretion.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024
To survive the harsh, hot conditions of its desert environment, the Gila monster also undergoes periods of estivation during the peak of summer.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024
Maricopa County, the largest county in Arizona, ended up with a colorful Gila monster (a species of lizard) sticker, while Ulster County in New York voted in a spirited illustration of a human head on a spider's body.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 25 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Gila monster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gila%20monster. Accessed 15 Mar. 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
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