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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

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

The gator is 12 feet long and weighs about 600 pounds, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

From Washington Times • Dec. 22, 2023

Chase was happy to hear Rashawn’s little gator lecture.

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