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Glite Dictionary
teiid lizard

teiid lizard

9.9
A tropical reptile from the Americas with a long tail and large belly scales
  • noun
  • /ˈteɪɪd ˈlɪzərd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lagarto teiido
  • The rainforest was home to a colorful teiid lizard basking on a fallen log.

Examples

  • She photographed several teiid lizards during her trip to Central America.

  • Many teiid lizards can be found in Central America.

  • Scientists studied the diet of the teiid lizard in its native habitat.

  • The teiid lizard is known for its vibrant colors.

  • The rainforest was home to a colorful teiid lizard basking on a fallen log.

  • She photographed several teiid lizards during her trip to Central America.

  • Scientists studied the diet of the teiid lizard in its native habitat.

Synonyms

teiid
vsteiid lizard
  • Specialized
9.9

A tropical lizard from the Americas with a long tail and big belly scales

is the common name stressing native region and belly scale features rather than taxonomy

Surface Forms

teiid lizard singular
teiid lizards plural

Morphology

teiid + lizard

The term is compositionally transparent: 'teiid' specifies membership in the Teiidae family and 'lizard' names the reptile, so together they mean 'a lizard of the Teiidae family.' This modifier+noun taxonomic pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents could infer the meaning.

Etymology

Teiid lizard comes from the scientific family name 'Teiidae', a label early scientists used for a group of long-tailed, scaly lizards from the Americas. So calling an animal a teiid (a kind of lizard) tells you it belongs to that family and usually has a long tail and big belly scales.