goanna

American  

[goh-an-uh] / goʊˈæn ə /

noun

1. any of the several large monitor lizards of the family Varanidae, of Australia, especially Varanus varius and V. giganteus, both sometimes growing to 6 feet (1.8 meters).

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goanna British  

/ ɡəʊˈænə /

noun

1. any of various Australian monitor lizards

2. slang a piano

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Etymology

Origin of goanna

First recorded in 1795–1805; aphetic form of iguana

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

goanna

For hours on end, we cruise around, seeing parrots, wallabies, a goanna and a couple of echidnas - but no numbats.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

At control sites which did not introduce the small 'taster toads' before the larger, highly poisonous adult cane toads arrived, goanna populations plummeted by up to 94 per cent.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 9, 2024

"The price today or even in the near term isn't really his focus, the focus is where's the price goanna be in the in the future."

From Reuters ● Sep. 14, 2023

I remember looking down its side when it was swinging me around like a dog with a goanna and I noticed my flippers were about half-way down its length.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 2, 2019

Thus it came to pass that Johnson, having got the tale by rote, Followed every stray goanna, seeking for the antidote.

From The Man from Snowy River by A. B. (Andrew Barton) Paterson