alligator

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"I suppose it's what they call the alligator-gar, Pete."

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Definitions (16)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun Either of two large reptiles, Alligator mississipiensis of the southeast United States or A. sinensis of China, having sharp teeth and powerful jaws. They differ from crocodiles in having a broader, shorter snout.
  2. noun Leather made from the hide of one of these reptiles.
  3. noun A tool or fastener having strong, adjustable, often toothed jaws.
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Examples (50)

  • They even had a Cajan stall selling alligator, although we skipped that and went to a restaurant called The Farm which did really good salads. —  TravelPod.com Recent Updates
  • His shoes were burnished alligator, his posture badly stooped; his clawlike left hand clutched Nathalie's forearm with geriatric intensity, the ancient fear of broken hips. —  VQR
  • "We're in the habitat of the American alligator, and we want people to learn about these amazing creatures," Moffitt said. —  news | WM | http://www.starnewsonline.com
  • When we humans eat alligator, the best we can say is that it tastes like chicken.
  • These children saw an alligator, hissing cockroaches, boa constrictor, barn owl, red-tailed hawk and a laughing kookaburra as educators talked about the animals. —  Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Top Stories
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Alteration of Spanish el lagarto, the lizard : el, the (from Latin ille, that; see al-1 in Indo-European roots) + lagarto, lizard (from Latin lacertus).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. A Latin-looking (New Latin) adaptation of early modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto, alegarto, alagarto, also simply lagarto, from Spanish el lagarto, literally the lizard: cl, the, from Latin ille, that; lagarto, from Latin lacertus, lizard: see lizard. The properly Spanish name is caiman or lagarto de Indias; Portuguese caimão. The English form has given rise to New Latin, F., and Portuguese alligator, and Spanish aligador.
 

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/ˈælɪgeɪtər/
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