goanna

noun

go·​an·​na gō-ˈa-nə 

: any of several large Australian monitor lizards (genus Varanus of the family Varanidae)

Examples of goanna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The biologists believe that early monitor lizards, including the ancestors of Australian monitors known as goannas, originally lost their osteoderms because an active, pursuit-hunting lifestyle favored speed and agility over heavy body armor. — New Atlas, 13 Jan. 2026

Roughly 20 million years ago, monitor lizards, also known as goannas, appeared in Australia. — Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025

New research published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society revealed for the first time that monitor lizards, commonly known as goannas in Australia, have osteoderms, a bony structure beneath the skin. — Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 21 July 2025

Asian water monitors are large lizards native to South and Southeast Asia, while goannas are large lizards commonly found in Australia. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 22 May 2025

With no sightings, it was assumed Valerie had met her match with a snake or perhaps a giant Rosenberg’s goanna, a reptile up to 4½ feet long that occupies the island. — Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of iguana

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for goanna

• bona
• dona
• jonah
• krona
• krone
• moana
• shona
• trona
• zona
• annona
• bellona
• cardona