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Glite Dictionary
Anguis fragilis

Anguis fragilis

9.9
A small legless lizard that looks like a snake
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Anguis fragilis
  • In damp British gardens, the Anguis fragilis is often mistaken for a snake due to its smooth, legless body.

Examples

  • Children sometimes incorrectly believe the Anguis fragilis is blind because of its tiny eyes.

  • Researchers discovered a population of Anguis fragilis thriving in the forest undergrowth.

  • The Anguis fragilis is often found in gardens.

  • Did you see the Anguis fragilis in the garden?

  • The Anguis fragilis is a fascinating lizard that spends most of its time hidden underground.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the Anguis fragilis for its role in controlling pests in their yards.

  • While walking in the forest, I spotted an Anguis fragilis basking in a sunny spot on the ground.

Synonyms

blindworm
vsAnguis fragilis
  • UK
1 9.9

A small legless lizard with tiny eyes found in Europe under leaves

is the scientific name and does not imply blindness
slowworm
vsAnguis fragilis
  • UK
9.9

A small lizard without legs that looks like a snake

is the formal scientific name rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Anguis fragilis singular
Anguis fragilises plural

Morphology

Anguis + fragilis

This is a Latin scientific name (a taxonomic proper noun), so its meaning as 'slowworm' is not compositionally derived from the surface constituents for a B1 learner. The parts are Latin (and one is undefined here), and knowing them would not reliably lead a learner to the common English referent or the descriptive zoological sense, so the phrase is effectively idiomatic/opaque in everyday English.

Etymology

Anguis fragilis comes from the Latin words anguis ('snake') and fragilis ('fragile'). People may have called it a 'fragile snake' because it looks like a small snake and can easily lose its tail to escape, so the name fits this legless lizard today.