Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various monitor lizards of Australia.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A popular variant of guana (an abbreviated form of iguana) in common use in Australia for any large lizard; specifically, the lace-lizard, Varanus varius. Also gohanna.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of various monitor lizards native to Australia.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of iguana.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

A respelling in Australia of guana. (Reference: The Dinkum Dictionary : The Origins of Australian Words, Susan Butler, Text Publishing, 2001, ISBN 187648585X.)

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Examples

Comments

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  • australian lizard-thing

    April 26, 2008

  • "Quick woke again and there was Wentworth's daughter, Lucy. She was rubbing his blistered skin with goanna oil."

    Cloudstreet by Tim Winton, p 202 of the Graywolf Press hardcover edition

    April 1, 2010

  • Goanna brand history

    April 1, 2010