Illustration of gecko
gecko
noun
ˈge-(ˌ)kō 
plural geckos also geckoes
: any of numerous small chiefly tropical and nocturnal insectivorous lizards (family Gekkonidae)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web In an opinion published Tuesday, the Court of Appeals for the Western District of Missouri affirmed the multimillion-dollar payout against the insurance company, best known for its ubiquitous TV ads that frequently feature a talking gecko. 
David K. Li, NBC News, 9 June 2022 Students interview each other for a get-to-know-you game, which somehow turns into a short discussion about whether students can keep a pet gecko in their dorm room. Freep.com, 10 June 2022 Violations included filthy cages, belated veterinary care that led to the deaths of a gecko and ferret, excessive amounts of dead fish in tanks and inadequate temperatures in exotic reptile enclosures, according to PETA. Mike Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2022 The family has four dogs, two cats, a gecko, a bird, a tortoise and several fish. Sarah E. Needleman And Salvador Rodriguez, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022 The discoveries listed in a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) include a new rock gecko found in Thailand, a mulberry tree species in Vietnam, and a big-headed frog in Vietnam and Cambodia that is already threatened by deforestation. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 27 Jan. 2022 So the tail is indeed essential to stabilize the gecko's high-speed crash landing. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2021 Before the festivities, Ashley and Michael get together with Robyn and Juan in a cursed attempt to reintegrate this six-foot gecko back into the series. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2021 For decades, roboticists have pored over other living creatures, such as the gecko and the cockroach, in their quest to build agile robots that can conquer challenging situations. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 26 Sep. 2021 See More
David K. Li, NBC News, 9 June 2022 Students interview each other for a get-to-know-you game, which somehow turns into a short discussion about whether students can keep a pet gecko in their dorm room. Freep.com, 10 June 2022 Violations included filthy cages, belated veterinary care that led to the deaths of a gecko and ferret, excessive amounts of dead fish in tanks and inadequate temperatures in exotic reptile enclosures, according to PETA. Mike Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2022 The family has four dogs, two cats, a gecko, a bird, a tortoise and several fish. Sarah E. Needleman And Salvador Rodriguez, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022 The discoveries listed in a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) include a new rock gecko found in Thailand, a mulberry tree species in Vietnam, and a big-headed frog in Vietnam and Cambodia that is already threatened by deforestation. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 27 Jan. 2022 So the tail is indeed essential to stabilize the gecko's high-speed crash landing. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2021 Before the festivities, Ashley and Michael get together with Robyn and Juan in a cursed attempt to reintegrate this six-foot gecko back into the series. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2021 For decades, roboticists have pored over other living creatures, such as the gecko and the cockroach, in their quest to build agile robots that can conquer challenging situations. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 26 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
perhaps from Malay dialect geʔkok
First Known Use
1774, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
gecko
noun
ˈge-ˌkō
plural geckos or geckoes
: a small tropical lizard that eats insects and is usually active at night