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caiman

American  
[key-muhn] / ˈkeɪ mən /
Also cayman

noun

plural

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


caiman British  
/ ˈkeɪmən /

noun

  1. a variant spelling of cayman

"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

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.

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

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

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2024

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

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