lizard

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A cold-blooded animal with a long body, four legs, and a tail, usually covered in scales.

   Grammar: Countable; plural is lizards. Use 'a lizard' for one, 'lizards' for more than one.

   Patterns

   • a lizard
   • lizards

   We saw a small green lizard sunning itself on a rock.

   Some lizards can change color to blend in with their surroundings.

   The pet store sells crickets to feed the lizards.

2. 2noununcountable

   The skin of a lizard, used to make leather goods.

   Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the material; often used in the phrase 'lizard skin'.

   Patterns

   • lizard skin
   • made of lizard

   She bought a pair of boots made of lizard.

   The wallet had a distinctive lizard texture.

Word forms

Common combinations

a lizard basks in the sun

The lizard basked in the sun on a flat stone.

lizard species

This park is home to several rare lizard species.

lizard-like

The monster had a lizard-like face.

lizard skin

Her shoes were made of lizard skin.

Synonyms and how they differ

gecko

A gecko is a specific type of small lizard, not a general word for all lizards.

iguana

An iguana is a large tropical lizard, often green, not a general term.

reptile

Reptile is a broader category that includes lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles.

Word family

lizard-like adjective

Resembling a lizard in appearance or movement.

Commonly confused: lizard or wizard?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “lizard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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