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 crocodile2chiefly British : a line of people (as schoolchildren) usually walking in pairs

[crocodile illustration]