iguana

American  

[ih-gwah-nuh] / ɪˈgwɑ nə /

noun

iguanas plural

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.

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iguana British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• iguanian
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• iguanas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of iguana

1545–55; < Spanish < Arawak iwana

Explanation

An iguana is a big lizard with distinctive spines running down its back. If you keep an iguana as a pet, you'll want to feed it a lot of fresh vegetables. Iguanas look a little intimidating, since they grow as large as six feet long to the tip of the tail and have a head that resembles a dinosaur. While pet iguanas can sometimes be somewhat aggressive, they can be tamed with enough handling. The word iguana is Spanish, and it comes from a West Indies language, Arawak, and its word for this particular kind of lizard, iwana.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

iguana iguanas

While fishing a canal, I spot an otter as it emerges from the water and climbs onto the opposite bank, clutching a writhing iguana in its paws and then diving back in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

The results showed that native Fijian iguana populations have much greater genetic diversity than previously thought — possibly pointing to an entirely new species of iguana.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025

A new iguana joins Asia's rich reptile fauna, officially described as new to science in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 27, 2023

During his time at USC from 2012-14, he was known to get around campus on a skateboard, sometimes ferrying around a pet iguana on his shoulder.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

So Nim blew iguana kisses into the phone and went back to the hut, and the breeze flicked her hair and was cool against her cheek.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Across the archipelago, marine iguanas routinely stretch out across boardwalks and walking paths, forcing tourists to either wait patiently or find another route.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

The Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are famous for animals found nowhere else on Earth, including giant tortoises and marine iguanas.

From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026

In 2016, Planet Earth II included gripping moments of tension and drama like snakes chasing newly-hatched iguanas, and attracted more young viewers than ITV hit The X Factor.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

It got so chilly in parts of Florida that iguanas were frozen in place.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

He speared iguanas and roasted them on open fires, claiming that their meat was tastier than chicken.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago