alligator gar

noun

1. a large, heavily scaled fish, Lepisosteus spatula, with an elongated body and long snout, found mainly in shallow weedy fresh water in the southeastern U.S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alligator gar¹

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

That’s because the alligator gar had never before been documented in the state.

From Washington Post

Before the alligator gar was confirmed, Smith posted a photo on a Facebook page for “whisker seekers,” a catfishing group.

From Washington Post

Smith got in touch with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the fisheries division confirmed it was an alligator gar, a type of fish whose fossil records it says trace back nearly 100 million years.

From Washington Post

Bowfin, alligator gar, and sturgeon are all the last living examples of once-massive families of fish, which have been pushed from the open ocean and found a refuge inland.

From Popular-Science

The researchers next turned to the alligator gar, a type of fish whose snout resembles those of crocodilians, hence their namesake.

From Popular-Science

I ain't so much afraid o' that as I am that some big alligator-gar 'll come along and take his dinner off my leg.

From Project Gutenberg

"The belief in alligator-gar is a vulgar and absurd superstition," said the Lieutenant, breaking silence for the first time.

From Project Gutenberg

Have you ever seen an alligator-gar at home in the Lower Mississippi?

From Project Gutenberg