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definitions

crocodilian

[krok-uh-dil-ee-uh n]
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noun

any reptile of the order Crocodylia, comprising the true crocodiles and the alligators, caimans, and gavials.

adjective

of, like, or pertaining to a crocodile.
hypocritical; insincere.

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Origin of crocodilian

First recorded in 1625–35; crocodile + -ian
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crocodilian

Historical Examples of crocodilian

  • In birds the apparatus for the support of the wings has a far-off resemblance to the Crocodilian type.

    Dragons of the Air

    H. G. Seeley

  • Taken as a whole, the foot is perhaps more reptilian than avian, and in some genera is crocodilian.

    Dragons of the Air

    H. G. Seeley

  • You will soon discover this in skeletonizing your first crocodilian, and be sure to respect its anatomy.

  • The three men stood silent and tense as the two crocodilian monsters stopped before them.

  • And beside the dais was a figure between two crocodilian guards at sight of whom Randall forgot all else.

British Dictionary definitions for crocodilian

crocodilian

noun

any large predatory reptile of the order Crocodilia, which includes the crocodiles, alligators, and caymans. They live in or near water and have a long broad snout, powerful jaws, a four-chambered heart, and socketed teeth

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Crocodilia
of, relating to, or resembling a crocodile
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
Science definitions for crocodilian

crocodilian

[krŏk′ə-dĭl′ē-ən]

Any of various semiaquatic reptiles of the order Crocodilia, including the alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gavials. Crocodilians are squat, massive, and lizardlike, with long, powerful jaws, long, heavy tails, short legs, and thick, plated skin. Like dinosaurs, crocodilians are archosaurs, and their closest modern relatives are the birds.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.