lizard

[liz-erd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lizard ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of numerous scaly reptiles of the suborder Sauria, order Squamata, typically having a moderately elongate body, a tapering tail, and two pairs of legs held outward from the body, comprising mostly terrestrial and burrowing species.

any of various reptiles resembling a lizard, as a dinosaur or crocodile.

leather made from the skin of the lizard, used for shoes, purses, etc.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Lacerta.

lounge lizard.

Nautical. a pennant used as a leader for running rigging, having a thimble or bull's-eye.

The Lizard. Lizard Head.

Origin of lizard

1350–1400; Middle English liserd, variant of lesard(e) < Middle French lesarde < Latin lacerta

Lizard Head

noun

a promontory in SW Cornwall, in SW England: the southernmost point in England.

Also called Lizard Point, The Lizard.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for lizard

pocketbook, pocket, wallet, bag, handbag, pouch, poke, hide, leather, clutch, frame, sack, receptacle, bursa, carryall, moneybag, billfold, reticule

Examples from the Web for lizard

Contemporary Examples of lizard

Another set of hackers that goes by the name the Lizard Squad told the Washington Post that they helped with the Sony hack.
U.S. Spies Say They Tracked ‘Sony Hackers’ For Years
Shane Harris
January 2, 2015
There is a lot of residual concern that Lizard Squad was able to get even this far.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet
Marc Rogers
December 29, 2014
And some members of the Lizard Squad are now claiming that they were never trying to poison the network.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet
Marc Rogers
December 29, 2014
It almost makes you wonder if Lizard Squad did this just to annoy Anonymous and the other earnest champions of privacy.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet
Marc Rogers
December 29, 2014
Until recently, the hacker collective known as Lizard Squad was all but unknown.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet
Marc Rogers
December 29, 2014

Historical Examples of lizard

We were exactly 100 days from dock to dock, or 96 days from the Lizard to Cape Otway.
Six Letters From the Colonies
Robert Seaton
Then I put the little toads on the board, and the lizard drew them all around.
Harper's Young People, October 12, 1880
Various
"Be welcome, my English cousin," and then dropped her eyes again to the lizard.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
The young girl touched the lizard gently, but it was too frightened to move.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
One peculiarity of this lizard is its ability to run on its hind legs.
Pathfinder
Alan Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for lizard

lizard

noun

any reptile of the suborder Lacertilia (or Sauria), esp those of the family Lacertidae (Old World lizards), typically having an elongated body, four limbs, and a long tail: includes the geckos, iguanas, chameleons, monitors, and slow wormsRelated adjectives: lacertilian, saurian

leather made from the skin of such an animal
(as modifier)a lizard handbag

Word Origin for lizard

C14: via Old French from Latin lacerta

Lizard

noun

the Lizard a promontory in SW England, in SW Cornwall: the southernmost point in Great BritainAlso known as: Lizard Head, the Lizard Peninsula

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for lizard

"an animal resembling a serpent, with legs added to it" [Johnson], late 14c., lusarde, from Anglo-French lusard, Old French laisarde "lizard" (Modern French lézard), from Latin lacertus (fem. lacerta) "lizard," of unknown origin, perhaps from PIE root *leq- "to bend, twist" [Klein].