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goanna
[ goh-an-uh ]
/ goʊˈæn ə /
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noun
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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Origin of goanna
First recorded in 1795–1805; aphetic form of iguana
Words nearby goanna
goalpost, goaltender, goaltending, goalwards, go and, goanna, go ape, Goa powder, go-around, go astray, goat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use goanna in a sentence
He had nearly reached its mouth when a great greasy black goanna clambered up a sapling from under his feet and looked fightable.
While the Billy Boils|Henry LawsonHe ran round to the other side of the hut, and there was a great black goanna in violent convulsions on the ground.
While the Billy Boils|Henry LawsonThe monitor is popularly known as the goanna, a name derived from the iguana, an entirely different animal.
British Dictionary definitions for goanna
goanna
/ (ɡəʊˈænə) /
noun
any of various Australian monitor lizards
Australian slang a piano
Word Origin for goanna
C19: sense 1 changed from iguana; sense 2 from rhyming slang pianna
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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