What does "lizard" mean?
Any reptile of the order Squamata that is not a snake or part of Mosasauria — typically characterised by a rounded torso, a short neck with an elevated head, four limbs and a long tail, although some species are legless.
Lizard
/ˈlɪz.ɚd/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any reptile of the order Squamata that is not a snake or part of Mosasauria — typically characterised by a rounded torso, a short neck with an elevated head, four limbs and a long tail, although some species are legless.
- Grammar: lizard is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: chameleon, chameleons, dinosaur, dragon.
- Useful contrasts: serpents, snake, snakes.
- Usage evidence: She has a tattoo of a lizard on her thigh.
How to use "lizard"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lizard" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lizard" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lizard" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lizard" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lizard" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "chameleon" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lizard", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any reptile of the order Squamata that is not a snake or part of Mosasauria — typically characterised by a rounded torso, a short neck with an elevated head, four limbs and a long tail, although some species are legless.
"The cicale above in the lime, / And the lizards below in the grass, / Were as silent as ever old Tmolus was, / Listening to my sweet pipings."
- 2 relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail wordnet
- 3 Lizard skin, the skin of these reptiles. attributive
"Silver bells jingling from your black lizard boots, my baby / Silver foil to trim your wedding gown"
- 4 a man who idles about in the lounges of hotels and bars in search of women who would support him wordnet
- 5 An unctuous person. colloquial
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A coward. colloquial
- 7 A hand forming a "D" shape with the tips of the thumb and index finger touching (a handshape resembling a lizard), that beats paper and Spock and loses to rock and scissors in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.
- 8 A person who idly spends time in a specified place, especially a promiscuous female. in-compounds
"lounge lizard; lot lizard; beach lizard; truck stop lizard"
Proper Noun
- 1 A peninsula in southern Cornwall, England.
- 2 A village in Landewednack parish, on the peninsula near Lizard Point, Cornwall, the most southerly village in England, also known as Lizard Town (OS grid ref SW7012)
Example
"She has a tattoo of a lizard on her thigh."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lizard"?
Common synonyms include: chameleon, chameleons, dinosaur, dragon, gecko, geckos.
How do you use "lizard" in a sentence?
She has a tattoo of a lizard on her thigh.
How do you pronounce "lizard"?
Pronounced /ˈlɪz.ɚd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lesarde, lisarde, from Anglo-Norman lusard, from Old French lesard (compare French lézard), from Latin lacertus, which is of obscure origin. Displaced native Middle English aske, from Old English āþexe (> modern English ask, askard).
Etymology 2
Recorded as Lisart 1086 (Domesday Book); a corruption of Cornish Lysardh (literally “high court”), influenced by lizard.