plural geckos also geckoes
: any of numerous small chiefly tropical and nocturnal insectivorous lizards (family Gekkonidae)

Illustration of gecko

Illustration of gecko

Examples of gecko in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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On October 27, 2025, the gecko Hemiphyllodactylus venkatadri was described from the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in southern India. Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026 During wildlife surveys in 2022 and 2023 in eastern Thailand, a research team came across a small, nocturnal gecko with a triangular head and large, slightly protruding eyes. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026 The fact that the Khlong Hat bent-toed gecko has been found in only one district raises real questions about its range and population size. Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026 The gecko, the caveman, the camel who celebrated hump day—all these were marketing masterstrokes, ones directly derived from Buffett’s deep understanding of the mass-brand/mass-media industrial complex. Adam Seessel, Fortune, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gecko

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Malay dialect geʔkok

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gecko was in 1774

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Cite this Entry

“Gecko.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gecko. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

gecko

noun
plural geckos or geckoes
: any of numerous small harmless chiefly tropical lizards that eat insects and are active at night

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