agama
1 of 2noun (1)
aga·ma
ə-ˈgā-mə,
ˈa-gə-mə
1
capitalized : a genus (the type of the family Agamidae) of Old World terrestrial lizards including many that are of bright and changeable colors
2
plural -s : a lizard of the genus Agama
agama
2 of 2noun (2)
aga·ma
ˈä-gə-mə
plural -s
: one of a class of tantric treatises accepted as scripture within Hinduism and Buddhism compare tantra
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
borrowed from New Latin (Linnaeus), probably borrowed from Sranan (or a related English-based creole of Suriname, whence modern Sranan agama, "any of various large lizards or small iguanas," Saramaccan, "chameleon,"), borrowed from Gbe àgãmã "chameleon"
Noun (2)
Sanskrit āgama, literally, arrival, acquisition of knowledge, from āgacchati he comes, arrives, from ā towards + gacchati he goes; akin to gamati he goes
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1796, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun (2)
1803, in the meaning defined above