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Definition of day gecko
day gecko
Plural:day geckos
day gecko Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
Any of various brightly colored, diurnal lizards of the genus Phelsuma, native primarily to Madagascar and surrounding islands in the Indian Ocean.
Example
"The brilliant green Madagascar day gecko was seen resting on a broad tropical leaf, soaking up the afternoon sun."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for day gecko• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A descriptive compound of 'day' and 'gecko', so named because these lizards (genus Phelsuma) are biologically active during daylight hours, contrasting with the primarily nocturnal habits of most other geckos.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Day gecko. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/day gecko