whiptail
noun
whip·tail
ˈ(h)wip-ˌtāl 
: any of various long slender American lizards (genus Cnemidophorus) having a whiplike tail and including some forms that are parthenogenetic
Examples of whiptail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
How the New Mexico whiptail became a gay icon
Mutation Research/Fundamental and Mechanisms of Mutagenesis.
—
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
New Mexico whiptails actually represent a remarable evolutionary feat: Their lineage came about via the union of two separate species, the little striped whiptail and the western whiptail.
—Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2020
Matthew Fujita, a UTA biology professor and the center’s curator of herpetology, uses the collection to study parthenogenesis, a wacky way that certain female whiptail lizards reproduce by cloning themselves.
—Dallas News, 3 Nov. 2022
Scientists may be able to predict evolutionary outcomes thanks to a recent study involving a whiptail lizard.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
Consider the New Mexico whiptail lizard, which reproduces through parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction that allows the female to create a viable offspring without a mate.
—Clare Egan, Longreads, 21 Mar. 2023
For the all-female whiptail lizard, the solution is to hedge its bets.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2010
Another lizard species, the Central American whiptail, has been observed offering a potential partner a lovely dead frog to eat before mating.
—Hannah Thomasy, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2022
The North American whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis) are grandmasters at it.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2011
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
New Mexico whiptails actually represent a remarable evolutionary feat: Their lineage came about via the union of two separate species, the little striped whiptail and the western whiptail.
—Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2020
Matthew Fujita, a UTA biology professor and the center’s curator of herpetology, uses the collection to study parthenogenesis, a wacky way that certain female whiptail lizards reproduce by cloning themselves.
—Dallas News, 3 Nov. 2022
Scientists may be able to predict evolutionary outcomes thanks to a recent study involving a whiptail lizard.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
Consider the New Mexico whiptail lizard, which reproduces through parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction that allows the female to create a viable offspring without a mate.
—Clare Egan, Longreads, 21 Mar. 2023
For the all-female whiptail lizard, the solution is to hedge its bets.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2010
Another lizard species, the Central American whiptail, has been observed offering a potential partner a lovely dead frog to eat before mating.
—Hannah Thomasy, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2022
The North American whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis) are grandmasters at it.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2011
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whiptail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Whiptail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiptail. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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