Mexican beaded lizard
- noun
- /ˈmɛksɪkən ˈbiːdɪd ˈlɪzərd/
- US
- The Mexican beaded lizard is one of only a few venomous lizards in the world.
Examples
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A bite from a Mexican beaded lizard requires immediate medical attention due to its potent venom.
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Herpetologists studied the unique scales of the Mexican beaded lizard in their natural habitat.
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The Mexican beaded lizard is known for its unique appearance.
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Have you ever seen a Mexican beaded lizard in the wild?
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A bite from a Mexican beaded lizard requires immediate medical attention due to its potent venom.
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Herpetologists studied the unique scales of the Mexican beaded lizard in their natural habitat.
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The Mexican beaded lizard is one of only a few venomous lizards in the world.
Synonyms
A large lizard from western Mexico with shiny black and yellow bead-like scales and a venomous bite
A lizard with poison in its bite and black and yellow beadlike scales from western Mexico
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective–noun composition: 'Mexican' (from Mexico) + 'beaded' (having bead-like ornaments or appearance) + 'lizard' (a reptile), so a learner who knows the parts can infer it refers to a lizard from Mexico with bead-like scales. This compositional descriptive pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal English modifier + noun patterns, making it transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Mexican beaded lizard is a simple, literal name: Mexican because it lives in Mexico, beaded because its black and yellow scales look like small beads, and lizard because it is a lizard. That's why the name means 'a large venomous lizard with beadlike scales'.