Gila monster

noun

1. a large, venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico, covered with beadlike scales of yellow, orange, and black.

Gila monster

/ ˈhiːlə /

noun

1. a large venomous brightly coloured lizard, Heloderma suspectum, inhabiting deserts of the southwestern US and Mexico and feeding mostly on eggs and small mammals: family Helodermatidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gila monster¹

1875–80, Americanism; after Gila

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gila monster¹

C19: after the Gila, a river in New Mexico and Arizona

Example Sentences

The man, Christopher Ward, 34, died on Feb. 16 “due to complications of Gila monster envenomization,” said the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office autopsy report, which also cited heart and liver problems as contributing factors.

From New York Times

Ward, 34, was taken to a hospital shortly after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters on Feb. 12.

From Seattle Times

But while 34-year-old Christopher Ward’s death Friday may have been the first from a Gila monster in the U.S. in almost a century, the creature’s bite is well-known to be excruciating — and venomous.

From Seattle Times

Christopher Ward, 34, was taken to a hospital shortly after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters on Feb. 12.

From Seattle Times

Gila monster venom has led to diabetes medication.

From National Geographic