Main Entry: croc·o·dile

Pronunciation: \ˈkrä-kə-ˌdī(-ə)l\

Function: noun

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

Date: 1555

1 a : any of several large carnivorous thick-skinned long-bodied aquatic reptiles (family Crocodylidae) of tropical and subtropical waters; broadly : crocodilian b : the skin or hide of a crocodile
2 chiefly British : a line of people (as schoolchildren) usually walking in pairs

[crocodile illustration]