caiman

Also cay·man

[key-muhn]

noun

plural

caimans 

1. any of several tropical American crocodilians of the genus Caiman and allied genera: some are endangered.

caiman

/ ˈkeɪmən /

noun

1. a variant spelling of cayman

Word History and Origins

Origin of caiman¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Spanish caimán, from Carib

Example Sentences

Palaeontologists in Colombia matched teeth marks on the fossilised leg bone of one of these fearsome birds to a caiman, or a crocodile-like reptile.

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"This year, there were three dead manatees, five dead buffalo. We found more than 10 caimans. We found turtles, capybaras, birds, thousands of dead fish," she said last June.

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Ash said he and the team bathed in the river at night with electric eel, caiman, sting rays, giant river otters and piranha.

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Kneeling in the boat, he was in the perfect position when the cat delivered the skull-crushing bite to the unsuspecting yacare caiman.

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Jaguars are known to hunt caimans in rivers in Brazil.

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