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racerunner

 - 3 dictionary results

race⋅run⋅ner

[reys-ruhn-er]
–noun
a whiptail lizard, Cnemidophorus sexlineatus, common in the eastern and central U.S., that runs with great speed.

Origin:
1640–50; race 1 + runner
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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race·run·ner   (rās'rŭn'ər)   
n.  Any of several fast-moving New World lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus.
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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Encyclopedia

racerunner

any of about 56 species of lizards in the family Teiidae. The genus is common in North America, particularly in the southwestern deserts, and its range extends through Central America and across South America to Argentina. Species also occur on some islands, including the Netherlands Antilles off the coast of Venezuela. Their size varies from 20 to more than 50 cm (8 to 20 inches). The common name of this genus is derived from the lizards' ability to run at impressive speeds; some species can run almost 28 km (17 miles) per hour over short distances.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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