alligator

[ al-i-gey-ter ]

/ ˈæl ɪˌgeɪ tər /

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noun

either of two broad-snouted crocodilians of the genus Alligator, of the southeastern U.S. and eastern China.

(loosely) any broad-snouted crocodilian, as a caiman.

Metallurgy. a machine for bringing the balls of iron from a puddling furnace into compact form so that they can be handled.

Jazz. an enthusiastic fan of swing.

verb (used without object)

(of paint, varnish, or the like) to crack and acquire the appearance of alligator hide, as from weathering or improper application to a surface.

Metalworking. (of a rolled metal slab) to split and curl up and down at one end; fishmouth.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of alligator

1560–70; <Spanish el lagarto the lizard <Vulgar Latin *ille that + *lacartus, for Latin lacertuslizard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alligator in a sentence

Louisiana needs a senator who will stand up to the career politicians, and the alligators.
7 WTF Campaign Ads You Can’t Unsee, From Castrators to Alligator Wrestlers|Olivia Nuzzi|May 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One moment of weakness, and the alligators can eat you alive.
Palin Backs Alligator Taming Senate Candidate|Olivia Nuzzi|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I understand that in the Everglades, there are alligators with little Jews on their shirt pockets.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview|Alex Belth|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is like telling a man wrestling four alligators not to ignore that 30-foot anaconda that just slipped into the pond.
Will Boehner Play Ball on Syria?|Michael Tomasky|August 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

People swim into pool walls, people swim into each other, and, in certain parts of the U.S., people swim into alligators.
Fireworks, Lightning, Riding Lawnmowers and Other Summer Menaces|Trevor Butterworth|July 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I have seen more alligators than you can count fingers and thumbs on your little dimpled hands.
The Nursery, December 1881, Vol. XXX|Various
"You may be thankful if you don't get those two young alligators in the other tank," said a gruff-voiced adjutant.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878|Various
Sometimes I thought that our voyage would end in our being carried to the bottom to become the food of alligators.
In the Wilds of Florida|W.H.G. Kingston
The alligators continued as plentiful as ever; numbers of them lay on the banks, watching us with savage eyes.
In the Wilds of Florida|W.H.G. Kingston
Sure enough, there were five or six small alligators at the far end—little fellows not very long out of the shell.
Mass' George|George Manville Fenn

British Dictionary definitions for alligator

alligator

/ (ˈælɪˌɡeɪtə) /

noun

a large crocodilian, Alligator mississipiensis, of the southern US, having powerful jaws and sharp teeth and differing from the crocodiles in having a shorter and broader snout: family Alligatoridae (alligators and caymans)

a similar but smaller species, A. sinensis, occurring in China near the Yangtse River

any crocodilian belonging to the family Alligatoridae

any of various tools or machines having adjustable toothed jaws, used for gripping, crushing, or compacting

Word Origin for alligator

C17: from Spanish el lagarto the lizard, from Latin lacerta

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012