skink

n. [ L. scincus, Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;. ] [ Written also scink. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless lizards of the family Scincidae, common in the warmer parts of all the continents. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The officinal skink (Scincus officinalis) inhabits the sandy plains of South Africa. It was believed by the ancients to be a specific for various diseases. A common slender species (Seps tridactylus) of Southern Europe was formerly believed to produce fatal diseases in cattle by mere contact. The American skinks include numerous species of the genus Eumeces, as the blue-tailed skink (Eumeces fasciatus) of the Eastern United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard (Oligosoma laterale) inhabits the Southern United States. [ 1913 Webster ]