iguana

noun

igua·​na i-ˈgwä-nə 

: any of various large chiefly herbivorous usually green or brownish tropical American lizards (family Iguanidae, the iguana family) that have a serrated dorsal crest and large dewlap

broadly : any of various large lizards

Illustration of iguana

Examples of iguana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her iguana, which by then was more than five feet long, stayed put. —H. C. Wilentz, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

When temperatures descend below 50°F, green iguanas become immobilized. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Bitter Guana Cay in the Bahamas is home to the rare Exuma Island iguana, a nearly extinct species found nowhere else in the world. —Madeline Weinfield, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026

Twenty-seven hiking trails thread through volcanic jungle, some self-guided, others led by staff who know every endemic plant and resident iguana by approximate biography. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Arawak & Carib iwana

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing iguana

• marine iguana

Rhymes for iguana

• asana
• chicana
• liana
• madonna
• maulana
• nirvana
• purana
• sadhana
• ana
• bwana
• dhyana
• donna

Kids Definition

iguana

noun

igua·​na i-ˈgwän-ə 

: any of various large plant-eating tropical American lizards that have a ridge of tall scales along the middle of the back and loose skin hanging below the neck