whiptail
whiptail Lexical Profile
whiptail Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A fast-moving lizard of the family Teiidae, native to the Americas, characterized by a distinctively long, slender, whip-like tail.
"The desert whiptail darted across the hot sand before disappearing under a mesquite bush."
A physiological disease of plants, particularly cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, caused by molybdenum deficiency and resulting in narrow, deformed, strap-like leaves.
"The farmer noticed early symptoms of whiptail in his cauliflower crop and immediately applied a soil amendment."
A type of freshwater armored catfish native to South America, popular in the aquarium trade, distinguished by its elongated, heavily armored body and extremely thin tail.
"The hobbyist added a twig catfish, also known as a whiptail, to her planted aquarium to help control the algae."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'whip' and 'tail', originally applied in the 19th century to describe various animals characterized by an exceptionally long, thin, whip-like tail.