lizard

noun

liz·​ard ˈli-zərd How to pronounce lizard (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At first glance, researchers thought the lizards looked like a gecko species found in Sri Lanka, an island country almost 1,500 miles away, the study said. Aspen Pflughoeft july 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025 Some lizards can live more than 20 years, and a few species of snakes have broken the 40-year mark. Samantha Winegarner, Mercury News, 8 July 2025 Cincinnati's Lazarus lizards are getting larger National Geographic, which interviewed Gangloff, first reported the lizards are getting bigger in size. Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Other traits can come and go, like the lizards’ blue belly patches. Molly Herring, Quanta Magazine, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for lizard

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lizard was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lizard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lizard. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

lizard

noun
liz·​ard ˈliz-ərd How to pronounce lizard (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on lizard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!