Plural of gecko, the small to medium-sized lizards with special toe pads that allow them to climb on any surface.
From Portuguese 'geco' and Malay 'gekoq', brought to English through European trade and colonial contact in Southeast Asia during the 16th-17th centuries.
Gecko toe pads use van der Waals forces—the same molecular attraction that makes static electricity work—allowing them to climb glass and even hang upside down from ceilings without any glue or suction cups!
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