lizard

noun

liz·ard | \ ˈli-zərd

Definition of lizard

1 : any of a suborder (Lacertilia) of reptiles distinguished from the snakes by a fused inseparable lower jaw, a single temporal opening, two pairs of well differentiated functional limbs which may be lacking in burrowing forms, external ears, and eyes with movable lids broadly : any relatively long-bodied reptile (such as a crocodile or dinosaur) with legs and tapering tail

2 : leather made from lizard skin

Examples of lizard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The sandfish, a lizard about the size of a hand, can virtually dive and swim through it, whipping and churning its legs to take advantage of sand’s fluid or solid properties. — David L. Hu, WSJ, "Robot Design Goes Back to Nature," 9 Nov. 2018 Back at my hotel, gigantic elephant-ear leaves are greener and darting lizards brighter, while the rain plops down in Dolby. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Finding the Bali You Came For," 16 Nov. 2018 In just five years Manafort had spent $520,000 at Bijan, splurging on such items as a $48,000 blue lizard jacket and a $12,000 pink pinstripe suit, paid for with money wired from overseas accounts. — Maer Roshan, Town & Country, "In Beverly Hills and Beyond, Bijan Carries on a Tradition of Excess and Exclusivity," 22 Oct. 2018 Perfected by grad student Matt Girard and Chesney Buck, an intern in the lab with an interest in taxidermy, the gelatin congeals around the skeleton of the fish or the seahorse and lizard (below). — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "How scientists captured a stunning, hellish menagerie of half-dissolved creatures," 21 Sep. 2018 The size of a small child, tegu lizards can grow up to 4 feet in length. — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, "Massive, voracious lizards are invading the southwestern US," 6 Aug. 2018 You could be forgiven for thinking that nothing lived in these dry reaches but lizards and beetles. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, "Going Off-Grid in Namibia," 21 Dec. 2018 Parthenogenesis has been seen in other species, including snakes, lizards and some birds. — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, "VIRGIN BIRTH! Stingray gives birth to 'Darth Vader' after cloning herself in scientific phenomenon," 30 Aug. 2018 First, dinosaurs were in fact lively, active animals that were more like birds and mammals than lizards or snakes. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, "The Real Scientific History Behind the Jurassic Park Dinosaurs," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lizard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.