alligator
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alligator
- /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/ UK
- /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/ US
- /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡæɪ.tə/ Australia
Sounds like allegator · Rhymes with -eɪtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
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From early Modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto, alegarto, alagarto, from Spanish el lagarto (“the lizard”), from Latin lacertus (“lizard”), modern spelling possibly influenced by the unrelated Latin alligator (“one who binds”).
noun alligators
-
Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and are native to the Americas and China, respectively.
All you could see of the alligator were two eyes above the water, then suddenly it snatched up and caught the poor bird with strong jaws full of sharp teeth.
Similar: gator
- A crocodilian of the subfamily Alligatorinae.
- A dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
- A crocodile of any species. Alligators were very numerous, in fact the harbour was infested by them.
- A form of squeezer for the puddle ball.
- A rock breaker.
- A kind of job press.
- Any of various vehicles that have relatively long, low noses in front of a cab or other, usually windowed, structure.
- An alligator-skin shoe.
- A swing music fan or performer, especially one who is white.
verb alligators · alligatoring · alligatored
- To crack in a pattern resembling an alligator's skin. Alligatoring is a result of the sun making the top surface of the asphalt brittle.
interjection
- Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which the speaker counts out loud, saying the word "alligator" between the numbers so that each number is spoken approximately one second after the last one. The same way people will count the seconds between lightning and thunder, I counted the seconds between coughs. One-alligator, two-alligator, three-alligator.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: cracked, rough, unsmooth, crocodile, gator, croc, ducky, hen, chick, chicken, pudding, pincer, shorty, clip, duck, caliper
Translations
Every language
noun large amphibious reptile of genus ''Alligator''
| Español | aligátor, aligator, yacaré, lagarto |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 악어 ageo, 앨리게이터 aelligeiteo |
| 日本語 | わに wani, ワニ wani, アリゲーター arigētā |
| 中文 | 美洲鱷 /美洲鳄 Měizhōu è, 短吻鱷 /短吻鳄 duǎnwěn'è |
| हिन्दी | मगरमच्छ magarmacch, घड़ियाल ghaṛiyāl, मगर magar |
| Kiswahili | aligatori, aligeita |
| Português | aligátor, jacaré |
| Français | alligator, caïman |
| Deutsch | Alligator |
| Italiano | alligatore |
| Ελληνικά | αλιγάτορας aligátoras |
| Română | aligator |
| Русский | аллига́тор alligátor |
| Tiếng Việt | cá sấu |
| العربية | قَاطُور qāṭūr, تِمْسَاح أَمْرِيكِيّ timsāḥ ʔamrīkiyy, تِمْسَاح اِسْتِوَائِيّ timsāḥ istiwāʔiyy, تِمْسَاح timsāḥ |
| עברית | אָלִיגָטוֹר aligator |
Talk about this word "alligator." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/alligator. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. alligator. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/alligator "alligator." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/alligator.Cite this
@misc{alligator_2026,
title = {alligator},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/alligator},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
