Gila monster

noun

a large, venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico, covered with beadlike scales of yellow, orange, and black.

Origin of Gila monster

1875–80, Americanism; after Gila

Words Nearby Gila monster

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Gila monster in a sentence

I am of the opinion his death was in part caused by the effects of the poison of the Gila monster.
Scientific American Supplement, Vol. XV., No. 388, June 9, 1883 | Various
Disturbed quail, rabbits, an enormous lizard—the harmless brother of the poisonous Gila monster—dashed across the trail.
The Long Dim Trail | Forrestine C. Hooker
In fact, I passed three deserted ranches, and near one of them I killed a Gila monster that was just making its burrow.
Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) | Carl Lumholtz
Linda herself had no more use for a hysterical woman than she had for a Gila monster.
Her Father's Daughter | Gene Stratton-Porter
His right hand darted under his coat to his left armpit like a Gila monster streaking for cover.
The Time Mirror | Clark South

British Dictionary definitions for Gila monster

Gila monster

/ (ˈhiːlə) /

noun

a large venomous brightly coloured lizard, Heloderma suspectum, inhabiting deserts of the southwestern US and Mexico and feeding mostly on eggs and small mammals: family Helodermatidae

Origin of Gila monster

C19: after the Gila, a river in New Mexico and Arizona

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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