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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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Goode had a pet tortoise when he was 6 and slept with a tegu lizard in his bed as a teen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
More than 4,000 snake species live today, all descended from heavily modified lizard ancestors.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
In 2024, the Biden administration added the dunes sagebrush lizard to the endangered species list after years of advocacy from environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Upton Heath is an internationally important area of heathland and home to all six of Britain's native reptiles, including the rare sand lizard and smooth snake.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
It was a mangy creature, half dog, half lizard, and the size of a calf.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
But fans might want to savor this one, because according to Vermont law, highway patrol mandatory retirement age is 57, the age the youngest Broken Lizard member hits this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
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
They ride the Screaming Lizard and the Double Dare Drop and then they hang out at the wave pool.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Fossil sites containing dinosaurs also frequently preserve animals that were much smaller, including mammals, lizards, amphibians, and other vertebrates.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
From the director of ‘Tiger King,’ a new docuseries examines the cold-blooded, illegal trade in lizards and the like in the 1980s and the lives of those who facilitated it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Adders, slow worms and common lizards will be the focus of protection efforts during a major peatland restoration project near Dumfries.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
They found Madagascar "hissing" cockroaches, a bulky insect named for its noisy defence mechanism, and dubia cockroaches, an invasive critter bred as a snack for pet lizards.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
She seems to value Tyler L. for his shirts with surfing lizards on them.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
