lizard
UK[ˈlɪzəd]US[ˈlɪzərd]
n
A type of reptile that typically has a long body and tail, four legs, movable eyelids, and rough, scaly skin.
Etymology
The word 'lizard' entered English in the 14th century from the Anglo-French 'lizard' and Old French 'lesard', which itself evolved from the Latin 'lacertus', meaning 'lizard'. The Latin term is believed to be a borrowing from an unknown, possibly pre-Latin, Mediterranean substrate language. The journey from Latin to French involved a common phonetic shift where 'c' softened to 's' and the ending altered, a process completed before the word was adopted into Middle English. Thus, the modern English term is a direct, unanalyzed descendant of this ancient name for the reptile, with no meaningful internal structure.
Analysis
The word 'lizard' is a simplex loanword from Old French. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
A small, green lizard darted across the hot stone wall.
Geckos and chameleons are both types of lizard.
The biology class studied the lizard's ability to regenerate its tail.