WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Liz"ard
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. lesarde, OF. lesarde, F. l?zard, L. lacerta, lacertus. Cf. Alligator, Lacerta.]
Definition : 1. (Zo?l.)

Defn: Any one of the numerous species of reptiles belonging to the order Lacertilia; sometimes, also applied to reptiles of other orders, as the Hatteria.

Note: Most lizards have an elongated body, with four legs, and a long tail; but there are some without legs, and some with a short, thick tail. Most have scales, but some are naked; most have eyelids, but some do not. The tongue is varied in form and structure. In some it is forked, in others, as the chameleons, club-shaped, and very extensible. See Amphisb?na, Chameleon, Gecko, Gila monster, Horned toad, Iguana, and Dragon, 6.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: A piece of rope with thimble or block spliced into one or both of the ends. R. H. Dana, Ir.

3. A piece of timber with a forked end, used in dragging a heavy stone, a log, or the like, from a field. Lizard fish (Zo?l.), a marine scopeloid fish of the genus Synodus, or Saurus, esp. S. foetens of the Southern United States and West Indies; -- called also sand pike. -- Lizard snake (Zo?l.), the garter snake (Eut?nia sirtalis). -- Lizard stone (Min.), a kind of serpentine from near Lizard Point, Cornwall, England, -- used for ornamental purposes.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913