Komodo dragon

American  

[kuh-moh-doh] / kəˈmoʊ doʊ /

noun

Komodo dragons plural

1. a monitor lizard, Varanus komodoensis, of certain Indonesian islands E of Java, that grows to a length of 10 feet (3 meters): the largest lizard in the world; now rare.

---

Komodo dragon British  

/ kəˈməʊdəʊ /

noun

1. the largest monitor lizard, Varanus komodoensis, of Komodo and other East Indian islands: grows to a length of 3 m (about 10 ft) and a weight of 135 kilograms (about 300 lbs.)

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Komodo dragons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Komodo dragon

First recorded in 1925–30; named after Komodo, Indonesian island, its principal range

Example Sentences

The Komodo dragon kills prey with a combination of nasty venom and lacerating teeth that dispatch that venom speedily into the victim's flesh.

From National Geographic • Feb. 7, 2024

It was during our spirited debate of who would win in a fight to the death — a Komodo dragon or a hippopotamus — that I knew this.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2023

Still, “we’re not talking kissy lips,” he pointed out — they’d be thin and scaly like those of the Komodo dragon, a large lizard.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 30, 2023

Some experts fear tourism expansion in the park could lead to disturbance of Komodo dragon habitat.

From Washington Post • Dec. 31, 2021

He was taller than the siege tower—thirty feet, at least—with scaly reptilian legs like a Komodo dragon from the waist down and green-blue armor from the waist up.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan