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

The man grabbed his iguana (which survived the flight) and left. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026

Goode needed no persuading about the beauty of animals like New Caledonian geckos, African bush vipers, Caribbean rock iguanas, and similar Cyclura. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026

Molt agreed—and according to Crutchfield, Molt took his revenge by killing the iguanas. — Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Burmese pythons have wiped out 87% to 99% of native mammal populations in parts of the Everglades, and green iguanas tear up landscaping and burrow into seawalls, weakening infrastructure. — Laurie Mermet, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 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