from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Skink \Skink\, n. [L. scincus, Gr. ????.] [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]
Note: 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]