noun
alligator
AL-ih-gay-tuh
noun
1
A large reptile with powerful jaws and a broad snout, found mainly in the southeastern United States and China.
"An alligator basked motionless on the riverbank."
"Visitors are warned not to swim in waters known to have alligators."
How to Use Alligator
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA large, thick-skinned reptile related to crocodiles, native to the Americas (and a related species in China).
Common mistake
Alligators and crocodiles are different animals — alligators generally have wider, rounder snouts and are found mainly in fresh water in the Americas.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
alligator skin
wrestle an alligator
Word Forms
alligatored past tense, alligators plural, alligators singular
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An _____ basked motionless on the riverbank.
Etymology
From Spanish el lagarto, "the lizard," picked up by English sailors and explorers in the Americas and gradually reshaped into its current spelling.