gecko

American  

[gek-oh] / ˈgɛk oʊ /

noun

geckos, plural geckoes plural

1. any of numerous small, mostly nocturnal tropical lizards of the family Gekkonidae, usually having toe pads that can cling to smooth surfaces: the largest species, Gekko gecko, is sometimes kept as a pet.

---

gecko British  

/ ˈɡɛkəʊ /

noun

1. any small insectivorous terrestrial lizard of the family Gekkonidae, of warm regions. The digits have adhesive pads, which enable these animals to climb on smooth surfaces

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• geckoes
  plural
• geckos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gecko

1705–15; < New Latin gekko < Dutch; origin uncertain; alleged to be a Malay word imitative of the lizard's call.

Explanation

A gecko is a small reptile with sticky feet that help it to climb smooth surfaces. In many warm parts of the world, geckos are commonly found on windows, doors, and ceilings. Most geckos are green, although these little reptiles come in nearly every color you can imagine, from brown to electric blue. Their skin is hairy, unlike the thick, rough scales of many lizards. In addition to their famously sticky feet, geckos are notable for their lack of eyelids (they lick their eyeballs to keep them moist), and "scored" tails that snap off easily in the clutches of a predator and grow back rapidly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gecko geckoes geckos

Need I mention that a gecko is a cold-blooded lizard?

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2025

Her favorite is their outdoor table, which Greene crafted from leftover teak and inlaid with gecko leaves, a nod to her late mother’s favorite plant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025

Therefore, the team of Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray did Ishan Agarwal the only logical thing: They named the newly-discovered gecko after van Gogh, dubbing it with the scientific name Cnemaspis vangoghi.

From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2024

The discovery of the new species, which they named Helioscopus dickersonae, suggests that gecko ancestors appeared in North America much earlier than previously known.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 29, 2023

So instead I head aft and make my way like a gecko up the bulkhead toward the captain’s ready room, squeezing myself as flat as I can to slip in under the door.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

In particular, the front surfaces of the vertebrae of known snakes and lizards except geckoes are concave, and the rear surfaces are convex; that doesn’t appear to be the case in Tetrapodophis, he says.

From Science Magazine ● Jul. 23, 2015

After two hours of searching the cactus, aloe, and prickly acacia—sometimes crawling to get a better look at tree trunks and leaf litter—I counted exactly six whiptail lizards, three toads, two geckoes, and one santanero.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2011

The geckoes are small creatures, seldom exceeding 8 in. in length including the tail.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various

Most geckoes are dull coloured, yellow to brown, and they soon change colour from lighter to dark tints.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various

The other is said to form a peculiar genus of geckoes, but both its locality and affinities appear to be somewhat doubtful.

From Island Life Or the Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras by Wallace, Alfred Russel

Unlike laboratory mice, which often require researchers to artificially trigger tumor growth, lemon frost geckos develop cancer naturally and at a relatively young age.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

Wildlife enthusiast Fred, who had just turned six at the time of filming in the summer and autumn of 2024, enjoyed spotting scorpions, snakes, monkeys, monitor lizards, eagles, hermit crabs, geckos and flying lemurs.

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026

Spanish police announced on Saturday they had raided a unlicensed animal sanctuary and rescued hundreds of exotic creatures including leopard tortoises, iguanas and geckos.

From Barron's ● Nov. 15, 2025

Listed as threatened since 1990, these long-lived reptiles don’t live alone; they can dig up to 25 burrows a year—and share the space with creatures from geckos to cottontails.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 12, 2023

At this school, that included the three monitors, plus a group of geckos who played in the school marching band, and a Komodo dragon with terrible breath who everyone—mammal, bird, and lizard alike—avoided.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness