alligator

noun

al·​li·​ga·​tor ˈa-lə-ˌgā-tər 

1

: either of two large carnivorous, thick-skinned, long-bodied, aquatic, crocodilian reptiles (Alligator mississippiensis of the southeastern U.S. and A. sinensis of China) that have a broad head with a slightly tapered, long, rounded, U-shaped snout and a special pocket in the upper jaw for reception of the enlarged lower fourth tooth

broadly : crocodilian

2

: leather made from alligator hide

Illustration of alligator

• alligator 1

Examples of alligator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The runway show had a little bit of everything: an awards season-worthy crowd, almost 100 looks, and a brief show-crasher protesting the brand’s use of alligator skin. —Kristen Tauer, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024

But Arthropleura still stood out, reaching about the same length as modern alligators, lead study author Mickaël Lhéritier said. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024

Other animals taking up temporary shelter include: moon jellies, six snakes, three lizards, three turtles, two alligators, two toads and a hermit crab. —Kathryn Varn, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024

Her final carousel photo was a shot of two hyper-realistic albino alligator props. —Catherine Santino, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish el lagarto the lizard, from el the (from Latin ille that) + lagarto lizard, from Vulgar Latin *lacartus, from Latin lacertus, lacerta — more at lizard

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing alligator

• alligator clip
• alligator pear
• alligator snapper
• alligator snapping turtle

Kids Definition

alligator

noun

al·​li·​ga·​tor ˈal-ə-ˌgāt-ər 

1

: either of two large short-legged reptiles resembling crocodiles but having a shorter and broader snout

2

: leather made from alligator's hide

Etymology

from Spanish el lagarto "the lizard"