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Gila monster

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Gila monster

 
Use Gila monster in a Sentence
–noun
a large, venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico, covered with beadlike scales of yellow, orange, and black.
Origin:
1875–80, Americanism; after Gila
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Gi·la monster   (hē'lə)   
n.  A venomous lizard (Heloderma suspectum) of arid regions of the southwest United States and western Mexico, having black and orange or yellow scales.

[After the Gila River.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

gila monster 
Heloderma suspectum, 1877, Amer.Eng., from Gila River, which runs through its habitat in Arizona.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: Gi·la monster
Pronunciation: 'hE-l&-
Function: noun
: a large orange and black venomous lizard of the genus Heloderma (H.suspectum) of the southwestern U.S.; also : the beaded lizard (H. horridum) of Mexico
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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