different between lizard vs tuatara

English

Etymology

From Middle English lesarde, lisarde, from Anglo-Norman lusard, from Old French lesard (compare French lézard), from Latin lacertus. Displaced native Middle English aske (“newt, lizard”); see ask.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l?z.?d/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?l?z.?d/

Noun

lizard (plural lizards)

1. Any reptile of the order Squamata that is not a snake, usually having four legs, external ear openings, movable eyelids and a long slender body and tail.
2. (chiefly in attributive use) Lizard skin, the skin of these reptiles.
   • 1990 October 28, Paul Simon, “Proof”, The Rhythm of the Saints, Warner Bros.

     Silver bells jingling from your black lizard boots, my baby / Silver foil to trim your wedding gown

3. (colloquial) An unctuous person.
4. (colloquial) A coward.
5. (rock paper scissors) 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.
6. (in compounds) A person who idly spends time in a specified place, especially a promiscuous female.

   lounge lizard; lot lizard; beach lizard; truck stop lizard

Derived terms

Translations

Middle English

Noun

lizard

1. Alternative form of lesarde

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori tuatara.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tu???t????/
• Hyphenation: tu?a?ta?ra

Noun

tuatara (plural tuataras or tuatara)

1. Either of two reptiles, Sphenodon punctatus and Sphenodon guntheri, native to New Zealand, that resemble lizards.

Translations

See also

• Sphenodon

Further reading

• tuatara on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Maori

Etymology

Said to be from tua (“on the back”) +? tara (“spine”).

Noun

tuatara

1. tuatara