gator

American

[gey-ter] / ˈgeɪ tər /

Also gater,

noun

Southern U.S. Informal. alligator.

gator British

/ ˈɡeɪtə /

noun

informal an alligator

"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 gator

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; shortened form

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.

“I haven’t really spent any time there. If I’m not swimming, I’m taking care of the animals. There isn’t much time for exploring. I suppose the refuge has birds, gators, deer, snakes … Florida things.”

From Literature

Luckily the gator didn’t seem particularly interested in them.

From Literature

Smith, who interviewed biologists who cared for Claude, said children are enthralled by the gator’s “rags to riches” story.

From Los Angeles Times

The tourists couldn’t believe they were out in the wild with the gators; they crouched down and posed for selfies next to them.

From Salon

The “Alligator Alcatraz” storefront is cartoon gators slyly winking at us from under red baseball caps: It’s just a joke, and you’re in on it.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023