chuckwalla

noun

chuck·​wal·​la ˈchək-ˌwä-lə How to pronounce chuckwalla (audio)
variants or chuckawalla
: a large herbivorous lizard (Sauromalus ater) of the iguana family of desert regions of the southwestern U.S.

Illustration of chuckwalla

Illustration of chuckwalla

Examples of chuckwalla in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For example, the common chuckwalla can be found throughout the Southwest and is identified by their red or orange backs. Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024 If a predator approaches, the chuckwalla will scamper into a narrow crevice and begin gulping air, inflating its wrinkled body like a balloon until firmly wedged in the rocks. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish chacahuala, from Cahuilla (Uto-Aztecan language of southeast California) čáxwal

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chuckwalla was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near chuckwalla

Cite this Entry

“Chuckwalla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckwalla. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

chuckwalla

noun
chuck·​wal·​la ˈchək-ˌwäl-ə How to pronounce chuckwalla (audio)
: a large plant-eating lizard of the desert regions of the southwestern U.S.

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