variants
or less commonly cayman
: any of several Central and South American crocodilians (genera Caiman, Melanosuchus, and Paleosuchus) similar to alligators
Examples of caiman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the caimans sold in stores were spectacled caimans — a species so named for the glasses-like ridge that runs along their snouts.
—
Freda Kreier, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Savvy businesspeople soon brought live caimans stateside.
—Freda Kreier, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Long after, about 13 million years before the present, the huge caiman relative Purussaurus cracked open turtles in ancient South America.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
Nature lovers venture to this remote wilderness area to peep sea turtles, manatees, speckled caimans, and birds while navigating the canals on a canoe.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2023
When the sun goes down, we were told, the Brazilian wandering spiders, bullet ants, poison dart frogs, snakes, giant centipedes, jaguars, anacondas and black caimans come out.
—Virginia Hammerle, Dallas News, 23 Apr. 2023
Their diet consists of birds, fish, small mammals, rodents and even caiman.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 1 Sep. 2022
Now at Casa Bambú, amid the banana trees and birds-of-paradise, the only threats were the strong currents at the beach and the three caimans said to live in the river behind the hotel.
—Anika Fajardo, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2023
In the years that followed, scientists found fossils from all manner of Cretaceous Period creatures buried at the site, including turtles and the oldest caiman, a kind of croc, known to science.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018
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Freda Kreier, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Savvy businesspeople soon brought live caimans stateside.
—Freda Kreier, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Long after, about 13 million years before the present, the huge caiman relative Purussaurus cracked open turtles in ancient South America.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
Nature lovers venture to this remote wilderness area to peep sea turtles, manatees, speckled caimans, and birds while navigating the canals on a canoe.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2023
When the sun goes down, we were told, the Brazilian wandering spiders, bullet ants, poison dart frogs, snakes, giant centipedes, jaguars, anacondas and black caimans come out.
—Virginia Hammerle, Dallas News, 23 Apr. 2023
Their diet consists of birds, fish, small mammals, rodents and even caiman.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 1 Sep. 2022
Now at Casa Bambú, amid the banana trees and birds-of-paradise, the only threats were the strong currents at the beach and the three caimans said to live in the river behind the hotel.
—Anika Fajardo, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2023
In the years that followed, scientists found fossils from all manner of Cretaceous Period creatures buried at the site, including turtles and the oldest caiman, a kind of croc, known to science.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caiman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Spanish caimán, probably from Carib caymán
First Known Use
1577, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near caiman
Cite this Entry
“Caiman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caiman. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
caiman
noun
cai·man
variants
also cayman
kā-ˈman,
kī-;
ˈkā-mən
: any of several Central and South American reptiles closely related to and resembling alligators
More from Merriam-Webster on caiman
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caiman
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