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

And there’s a shot in it that’s like 20 minutes long of this guy getting an alligator, but the camera guy is in the water as well. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Nov. 2025

The reptile's gender is not yet known, with Martz saying the alligator would need to grow to at least 3 feet before the gender could be determined. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025

The small alligator, spotted along the Charles River in Boston multiple times this week, has been rescued and delivered to safety, wildlife officials in Massachusetts said Thursday. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

This Indiana endangered species goes by some not so attractive nicknames like snot otter, lasagna lizard and Alleghany alligator, but the most common name used to denote Indiana’s largest salamander conjures a more demonic air. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 12 Nov. 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"