3/30/23, 4:33 AM alligator - Wiktionary

alligator
See also: Alligator and al·ligàtor

Contents
English
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Noun
Synonyms
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
Interjection
References
Etymology 2
Noun
See also
Danish
Noun
Declension
References
Dutch
Alternative forms
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
French
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
Further reading

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Latin
Alternative forms
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
Declension
References
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Noun
References
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
Noun
References
Swedish
Noun
Declension
West Frisian
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun

English
WOTD – 2 April 2016

Etymology 1

From early Modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto,

alegarto, alagarto, from Spanish el lagarto ‎(“the lizard”‎), from
Latin lacertus ‎(“lizard”‎), modern spelling possibly influenced by
the unrelated Latin alligator ‎(“one who binds”‎).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/ An American alligator, Alligator

(General American) enPR: ălʹĭ-gā-tər, IPA(key): /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/ mississippiensis

Audio (US) 0:02

Audio (AU) 0:02

Hyphenation: al‧li‧ga‧tor
Homophone: allegator

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Rhymes: -eɪtə(ɹ)

Noun

alligator (plural alligators)

1. Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in
the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and are
native to the Americas and China, respectively. [quotations ▼]

All you could see of the alligator were two eyes above the water, then suddenly it snatched
up and caught the poor bird with strong jaws full of sharp teeth.

2. (paleontology) A member of the family Alligatoridae, which includes the caimans.

3. (Nigeria) dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
4. (formerly) Applied to any species of crocodile. [quotations ▼]
5. Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.
1. (metalworking) A form of squeezer for the puddle ball.
2. (mining) A rock breaker.
3. (printing) A kind of job press.
6. Any of various vehicles that have relatively long, low noses in front of a cab or other, usually
windowed, structure.

Synonyms
(reptile within Crocodilia): gator (informal)

Coordinate terms
(reptile within Crocodilia): caiman, cayman; croc, crocodile; gavial, gharial

Derived terms
Alligator Alley alligator leather alligator terrapin big-lipped alligator
alligator apple alligator lizard alligator tortoise moment
(Annona glabra) (Abronia spp., Elgaria American alligator Chinese alligator
alligator bait spp., and (Alligator (Alligator sinensis)
alligator juniper Coloptychon) mississippiensis)
(Juniperus deppeana) alligator spread
[ show more ▼ ] 

Translations
±large amphibious reptile of genus Alligator [show ▼]

Verb

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alligator (third-person singular simple present alligators, present participle alligatoring, simple
past and past participle alligatored)

1. (intransitive, of paint or other coatings) To crack in a pattern resembling an alligator's skin.

[quotations ▼]

Interjection

alligator

1. Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which the speaker counts out loud, saying
the word "alligator" between the numbers so that each number is spoken approximately one
second after the last one. [quotations ▼]

References
Michael Quinion (2004), “Alligator”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words
and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books,
→ISBN.
alligator (http://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/nph-chw.php?query=alligator&type=dicts) in
The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “alligator (https://www.etymonline.com/word/alligator)”, in Online
Etymology Dictionary.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin alligātor.

Noun

alligator (plural alligators)

1. (obsolete) One who binds or ties.

See also
ligator

Danish

Noun

alligator c (singular definite alligatoren, plural indefinite alligatorer)

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1. alligator

Declension
Declension of alligator [show ▼]

References
“alligator (http://ordnet.dk/ddo/ordbog?query=alligator)” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Alternative forms
alligador (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from English alligator, from Spanish el lagarto ‎(“the lizard”‎).

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ˌɑ.liˈɣaː.tɔr/
Audio 0:02

Hyphenation: al‧li‧ga‧tor
Rhymes: -aːtɔr

Noun

alligator m (plural alligators, diminutive alligatortje n)

1. alligator, crocodilian of the genus Alligator [from 18th c.]

French

Etymology

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From English alligator.

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /a.li.ɡa.tɔʁ/
audio 0:02

Noun

alligator m (plural alligators)

1. alligator (animal)

Further reading
“alligator (https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/alligator)”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé
[Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin
FWOTD – 1 November 2013

Alternative forms
adligator

Etymology

alligo ‎(“I bind”‎) +‎-tor

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA(key): /al.liˈɡaː.tor/, [älːʲɪˈɡäːt̪ ɔr]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /al.liˈɡa.tor/, [älːiˈɡäːt̪ or]

Noun

alligātor m (genitive alligātōris); third declension

1. one who ties or binds [quotations ▼]

2. (New Latin) alligator

Declension

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Third-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural

Nominative alligātor alligātōrēs

Genitive alligātōris alligātōrum

Dative alligātōrī alligātōribus

Accusative alligātōrem alligātōrēs

Ablative alligātōre alligātōribus

Vocative alligātor alligātōrēs

References
“alligator (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=alligat
or)”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Spanish el lagarto ‎(“the lizard”‎), via English alligator.

Noun

alligator  m (definite singular alligatoren, indefinite plural alligatorer, definite plural

alligatorene)

1. alligator

References
“alligator” (https://ordbokene.no/bm/search?q=alligator) in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Spanish el lagarto ‎(“the lizard”‎), via English alligator.

Noun

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alligator  m (definite singular alligatoren, indefinite plural alligatorar, definite plural

alligatorane)

1. alligator

References
“alligator” (https://ordbokene.no/nn/search?q=alligator) in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Noun

alligator c

1. alligator (animal)

Declension
Declension of alligator [more ▼]

West Frisian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch alligator.

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /aliˈɡaːtɔr/

Noun

alligator c (plural alligators, diminutive alligatorke)

1. alligator

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