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Definition of frilled lizard
frilled lizard
Plural:frilled lizards
frilled lizard Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large agamid lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea, characterized by a large, pleated collar of skin around its neck that it flares outward to display when threatened.
Example
"When startled by a predator, the frilled lizard suddenly expands its brightly colored neck flap to make itself appear larger and more intimidating."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for frilled lizard• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for the distinct, pleated collar or 'frill' of skin around its neck, which resembles the ruffled collars popular in 16th-century European fashion. The species (Chlamydosaurus kingii) was first formally described by John Edward Gray in 1825.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Frilled lizard. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/frilled lizard