common iguana

5.1

A large plant-eating lizard with a spiny ridge on its back that often lives in trees

noun
/ˈkɑːmən ɪˈɡwɑːnə/

: iguana común

The common iguana is often seen basking on tree branches near rivers in Central America.

Examples

The vivid green color helps young common iguanas blend in with the rainforest foliage.
Local farmers sometimes catch the common iguana for food.
The common iguana is often seen basking in the sun.
A common iguana can grow up to six feet long.
Local farmers sometimes catch the common iguana for food.
The common iguana is often seen basking on tree branches near rivers in Central America.
The vivid green color helps young common iguanas blend in with the rainforest foliage.

Synonyms

iguana

vscommon iguana

2 3.9

A large lizard with a row of spines on its back that often lives in trees and eats plants

specifies Central and South America as the native area

Iguana iguana

vscommon iguana

Specialized

6.1

A large green lizard from Central and South America that lives in trees and eats leaves

emphasizes human use as food rather than the formal name

Surface Forms

common iguana singular

common iguanas plural

Morphology

common + iguana

The phrase is a simple adjective + noun combination where 'common' (frequent, typical) modifies 'iguana' (a large tree-dwelling lizard), so the meaning 'an iguana that is widespread or typical' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional, cross-linguistically common structure makes the MWE immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Common iguana comes from a local word 'iwana' for the iguana and the English word common, which means 'seen a lot'. So common iguana simply names the familiar green lizard people often see in trees and sometimes use as food.