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

The big attractions are the abundance of alligators and, for the luckiest visitors, a river otter or even a bobcat — and the birds. — Deborah Green, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

The Southport Police Department called in Officer Katie Ward of Animal Protective Services to catch the alligator and haul it to a wilderness area. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026

Guest rooms include zebra-print wallpaper and faux alligator-skin panels. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

The initial Crawl hit theaters in 2019 and centered on a woman (Kaya Scodelario) and her father (Barry Pepper) dealing with a swarm of massive alligators after a hurricane damages their Florida home. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

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"