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Glite Dictionary
varan

varan

9.9
A large lizard that lives in hot places and hunts birds and mice
  • noun
  • /ˈværən/
  • UK
translation icon : varano
  • In the tropical rainforest, the varan is known for its agility and hunting skills.

Examples

  • During our hike, we spotted a varan climbing a tree, its powerful legs helping it navigate the branches.

  • These results were inconsistent with Archer's (1985) and Varan's (1990) findings that reported no gender difference in any of the identity statuses.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The large varan basked in the sun near the river, watching for any prey that came too close.

Synonyms

monitor
vsvaran
2 9.1

A large tropical lizard that eats meat and has a long tail

is the alternate name for the same animal
monitor lizard
vsvaran
1 6.1

A large lizard from hot regions like Africa, Asia and Australia that eats meat

is the alternate name for the same animal

Surface Forms

varan singular
varans plural

Etymology

The word varan comes from the Arabic word waran, which named the large lizard and gave the scientific name Varanus. A helpful way to remember varan is to think of the English word warn, because people in some places believed the lizard would 'warn' them about crocodiles.