Showing results for gator. Search instead for gators.

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 can say with confidence that I won't meet another gator like Claude in my lifetime. I'll miss him terribly," Krol said.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

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

In “Happy Gilmore,” Sandler’s unlikely golf star confronts the feisty gator played by Morris after a golf ball lands in his toothy jaws.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

The agency said in a statement that the gator was “released in a remote location,” but stressed that it doesn’t know if the reptile was Wally.

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024

“I guess we move closer and see what the gator does.”

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

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