caiman
Americannoun
-
caimans
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of caiman
First recorded in 1570–80; from Spanish caimán, from Carib
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He observed tigers in India’s Madhya Pradesh, jaguars and caiman in Brazil’s Pantanal and giant pandas in the Chinese province of Sichuan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
This new analysis of the marks revealed that they most closely match an extinct caiman species called Purussaurus neivensis, a crocodilian that would have been up to five metres long.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025
All of the hides were from caiman and pythons bred in captivity.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
The park, known locally as the Lakes, contained the amount of water needed for the caiman, whose natural habitats largely consist of swamps and marshes.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Under one of the adult caiman’s rear legs, a baby caiman hatches from its egg, and to the left is a coral snake egg.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
The largest known predator in this ecosystem was Purussaurus neivensis, a massive crocodylian related to modern caimans.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
The researchers say it would have ambushed its prey from the water's edge, much like crocodiles and caimans do today.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025
And keep an eye out for caimans and boas in the water.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2022
Some parts of the river look like a swamp, with shallow, dark water full of caimans.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 22, 2021
This place has a very large aguada with much eel-grass and very many caimans.
From History of the Spanish Conquest of Yucatan and of the Itzas Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Hard University. Vol. VII. by Philip Ainsworth Means
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