Lizard

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlɪz.əd/

Definitions

1. A cold-blooded reptile with a long body, four legs, a tail, and scaly skin that typically lives in warm climates
2. A reptile characterized by its elongated body, four limbs, a tail, and scaly exterior that thrives in warmer environments
3. An ectothermic creature with a distinctive body structure including four limbs, a tail, and a covering of scales, primarily found in temperate to tropical habitats

Etymology: The English word displaced an older native name. Before "lizard" arrived, the creature was called "aske" in Old English, from "āþexe," the same root that gave us the modern word "ask," a name for a water-dwelling newt or gecko-like lizard. The newcomer pushed that word out of common use, though "askard" survived as a dialect form for a time. "Lizard" came into Middle English as "lesarde" and "lisarde," borrowed through Anglo-Norman "lusard" from Old French "lesard," which still survives today in French as "lézard." Behind the French lies Latin "lacertus," meaning a muscular arm or upper limb. The link between an arm and a reptile is not fully explained, though the Latin word's origin itself is obscure.

Synonyms: reptile, saurian