alligator

noun

al·​li·​ga·​tor ˈa-lə-ˌgā-tər 

1

: either of two large carnivorous, thick-skinned, long-bodied, aquatic, crocodilian reptiles (Alligator mississippiensis of the southeastern U.S. and A. sinensis of China) that have a broad head with a slightly tapered, long, rounded, U-shaped snout and a special pocket in the upper jaw for reception of the enlarged lower fourth tooth

broadly : crocodilian

2

: leather made from alligator hide

Illustration of alligator

• alligator 1

Examples of alligator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

They have been documented consuming 24 species of mammals and 43 species of birds, as well as alligators. —Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025

Other shipments sent by Lin included alligator lizards, venomous green tree vipers and palm pit vipers, all protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. —Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025

Fun Mountain is kid nirvana, an arcade, go-kart track, climbing wall, and a ropes course that hovers above live alligators. —T.j. Olwig, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025

There was a 15-foot alligator—the main character goes on the run after stabbing this guy, and one of the chefs gets blamed for it. —Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish el lagarto the lizard, from el the (from Latin ille that) + lagarto lizard, from Vulgar Latin *lacartus, from Latin lacertus, lacerta — more at lizard

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing alligator

• alligator clip
• alligator pear
• alligator snapper
• alligator snapping turtle

Rhymes for alligator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator
• calculator

Kids Definition

alligator

noun

al·​li·​ga·​tor ˈal-ə-ˌgāt-ər 

1

: either of two large short-legged reptiles resembling crocodiles but having a shorter and broader snout

2

: leather made from alligator's hide

Etymology

from Spanish el lagarto "the lizard"