any of numerous scaly reptiles of the suborder Sauria, order Squamata, typically having a moderately elongate body, a tapering tail, and two pairs of legs held outward from the body, comprising mostly terrestrial and burrowing species.
any of various reptiles resembling a lizard, as a dinosaur or crocodile.
leather made from the skin of the lizard, used for shoes, purses, etc.
Astronomy. Lizard, the constellation Lacerta.
Older Slang, lounge lizard.
Nautical. a pennant used as a leader for running rigging, having a thimble or bull's-eye.
The Lizard. Lizard Head.
any reptile of the suborder Lacertilia (or Sauria ), esp those of the family Lacertidae (Old World lizards), typically having an elongated body, four limbs, and a long tail: includes the geckos, iguanas, chameleons, monitors, and slow worms
leather made from the skin of such an animal
( as modifier )
a lizard handbag
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English liserd, variant of lesard(e), from Middle French lesarde, from Latin lacerta
A lizard is a type of reptile that has scales for skin, a long body, a pointy tail, and usually four legs. And they breathe fire. Okay, maybe not that last part, but that would be awesome. Lizards can be smaller than an inch long, or massive in size and weight — like the Komodo dragon, which can grow over ten feet in length. A type of lizard called a chameleon can change colors whenever it wants, and the Jesus lizard can walk on water. Most lizards live in deserts or jungles, however the word lizard comes from the Latin lacertus, which means “sea fish” — perhaps because they look like a monster that crawled out of the ocean.
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The 52-year-old grew up in small-town British Columbia and spent a decade playing center for hockey teams around the world, including Florida’s Jacksonville Lizard Kings and the Manitoba Moose.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
Suzanne Rees, 80, was hiking with fellow passengers of the Coral Adventure ship to a lookout spot on Lizard Island, in the Great Barrier Reef, on October 25.
From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025
Suzanne Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but broke off from the group for a rest.
From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are a fascinating phenomenon in rock.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025
Lizard houses, as previously noted, were as much like terrariums as they could be without compromising privacy; they were one of the few animals who kept spare sheets of glass everywhere.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
