iguana

[ih-gwah-nuh]

noun

1. a large, arboreal lizard, Iguana iguana, native to Central and South America, having stout legs and a crest of spines from neck to tail.

2. any of various related lizards of the genera Iguana, Ctenosaura, Conolophus, and Amblyrhynchus.

iguana

/ ɪˈɡwɑːnə /

noun

1. either of two large tropical American arboreal herbivorous lizards of the genus Iguana, esp I. iguana ( common iguana ), having a greyish-green body with a row of spines along the back: family Iguanidae

2. Also called: iguanid. any other lizard of the tropical American family Iguanidae

3. another name for leguaan

Other Word Forms

• iguanian noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of iguana¹

1545–55; < Spanish < Arawak iwana

Word History and Origins

Origin of iguana¹

C16: from Spanish, from Arawak iwana

Example Sentences

One of them stuck though - a report of an iguana stuck on the roof of a house.

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Eight endangered Fijian iguanas have arrived at their new home at the San Diego Zoo.

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The fish may be absorbing fat and bone, as has been seen in other animals, such as marine iguanas, although this needs to be confirmed through laboratory studies.

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After a whirlwind journey around the world, during which they were nabbed, rescued and quarantined, eight critically endangered Fijian iguanas have finally arrived at their new home at the San Diego Zoo.

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They also collected X-ray videos from an iguana and an alligator and examined the shapes of leg bones in other birds, including a penguin, an ostrich, an owl, and a crane.

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