crocodile

noun

croc·​o·​dile ˈkrä-kə-ˌdī(-ə)l 

1

a

: any of several large, carnivorous, thick-skinned, long-bodied, aquatic reptiles (family Crocodylidae and especially genus Crocodylus) of tropical and subtropical waters that have a long, tapered, V-shaped snout

broadly : crocodilian

b

: the skin or hide of a crocodile

2

chiefly British : a line of people (such as schoolchildren) usually walking in pairs

Illustration of crocodile

• crocodile 1a

Examples of crocodile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The team used high-resolution 3D imaging (microCT scanning) to reconstruct brain shapes (cranial endocasts) from over three dozen species — including pterosaurs, Ixalerpeton, early dinosaurs, and modern birds/crocodiles. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

For the May 5 event, the 45-year-old SKIMS mogul wore a two-piece crocodile skirt set by Chrome Hearts and accessorized the look with strings of pearls hanging from her waistband, the multi-million dollar diamond necklace and a matching leather hat. —Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025

Her Hugo Boss Staple P90-L pumps were embossed in a gray leather material with a crocodile print. —Tara Larson, Footwear News, 27 Nov. 2025

His retail wares included crocodile dog collars, croc stubby beer holders, croc skulls, croc tail key rings, croc tooth necklaces, croc purses, croc foot back scratchers and more. —Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English & Latin; Middle English cocodrille, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, alteration of Latin crocodilus, from Greek krokodilos lizard, crocodile, from krokē shingle, pebble + drilos worm; akin to Sanskrit śarkara pebble

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing crocodile

• crocodile bird
• crocodile tears

Rhymes for crocodile

• campanile
• chrysotile
• domicil
• domicile
• mercantile
• neuropil
• nonpareil
• percentile
• peristyle
• reconcile
• thermopile
• aisle

Kids Definition

crocodile

noun

croc·​o·​dile ˈkräk-ə-ˌdīl 

1

: any of several large thick-skinned long-bodied reptiles of tropical and subtropical waters compare alligator

2

: the skin or hide of a crocodile

Etymology

from Middle English cocodrille "crocodile," from early French cocodrille (same meaning), from Latin cocodrillus and earlier crocodilus "crocodile," from Greek krokodeilos "crocodile, lizard"

Word Origin

The word crocodile is taken from Greek krokodeilos, which is probably modified from a compound of krokē, "pebble, stone," and an obscure word drilos, which may have meant "worm." According to the ancient Greek writer Herodotus, some Greeks gave this name to the lizards that lived among the stone walls of their farms. When these Greeks visited Egypt, the enormous reptiles of the Nile River reminded them of the lizards and they applied the same name to them. (The more usual ancient Greek word for "lizard" was sauros, which we see in the Latin scientific names of many dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus, and in the word dinosaur itself.) The Romans took Greek krokodeilos into Latin as crocodilus. However, later speakers shifted the r from the first to the third syllable, giving cocodrilus or cocodrillus. It was this form that was taken into medieval French and later into Middle English as cocodrille. Later, as Englishmen became better acquainted with the classical Latin of ancient Rome, the English word was changed to better reflect Latin crocodilus, and cocodrille was eventually forgotten.