Lacerta
/ləˈsɝː.tə/noun
A genus of lizards, especially the European green lizard.
Did you know?Latin lacerta is the source of the scientific name for lizards, and it sits beside a whole family of ancient words for reptiles and crawling things, though its deepest prehistory is uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
lacerta
“lizard”
Late Latin
Latin
lacerta
“lizard”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Lacerta
“a lizard; later used as a zoological genus name”
18th Century
English
Lacerta
“scientific genus name for certain lizards”
Modern English
English
lacerta
“a genus of lizards”
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