lizard

noun

liz·​ard ˈli-zərd 

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

Audiences may get hooked, mirroring the obsessional quality of true lizard people. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026

So Goode turned to Tom Crutchfield, a reptile dealer in South Florida, to provide giant lizards and snakes. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

Now scientists are fighting back with AI, including building tools to catch an aggressive 5-foot lizard that’s been known to wander into backyards and chase down family pets. — Laurie Mermet, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026

Authorities also rescued more than 3,000 live animals and recovered at least 430 dead animals linked to wildlife trafficking, including snakes, birds, lizards and fish. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English liserd, from Anglo-French lesarde, from Latin lacerta

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lizard

• beaded lizard
• horned lizard
• lizard's tail
• lounge lizard
• monitor lizard
• thunder lizard

Rhymes for lizard

• blizzard
• gizzard
• izard
• wizard

Kids Definition

lizard

noun

liz·​ard ˈliz-ərd 

: any of a group of reptiles that can be told apart from the related snakes by their lower jaw which has the two halves joined and inseparable, by ears which are outside the body, by eyes with movable lids, and usually by two pairs of functional limbs