gator
Americannoun
-
gators
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
The AI tool shares its name, Claude, with a 30-year-old albino gator that’s become a local celebrity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2025
The “Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates” star also reminisced on totally real encounters with the gator including sharing a candy bar.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025
One woman on Hilton Head told the Island Packet newspaper that she looked out her window to find she had a pool crasher - a small gator enjoying the shallow end.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2024
The gator is 12 feet long and weighs about 600 pounds, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
“I have some friends visiting from Charles Town. We’ve decided to go alligator hunting this afternoon, and we need some gator bait!”
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
Florida has about 1.3 million alligators, and it is a crime to kill them, although the state euthanizes some 7,000 gators a year to reduce the risk of attacks on humans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
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 ● Aug. 17, 2025
There’s a noticeable pride Morot takes in touring me around his geek’s paradise: a two-level office crammed with shelves of scowling latex heads, furry creatures and a pair of giant gators overlooking it all.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
He has also shown gators kept in captivity in presentations to school groups and Boy Scout troops.
From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2024
Serious pancake eaters wouldn’t care what happened to the police car, or even about the gators in the portable potties.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
