alligator

]
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”).

(Nigeria) A dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)


crocodile

→ Maori: kokorotaera, karakotaera

→ Niuean: kirokotaili

→ Tokelauan: kolokotaila

→ Tongan: kalokataile

→ Welsh: crocodeil

From Middle English cocodrill, cokadrill, cokedril, from Old French cocodril (modern French crocodile), from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos). The word was later refashioned after the Latin and Greek forms. Doublet of krokodil and sugar.

[ˈkʰɹɑkədaɪɫ]

Industrial and rural expansion is shrinking and destroying the Nile crocodile's natural habitat. The Nile crocodiles, in particular, have been a source of highly durable leather for a variety of products which can be crafted and manufactured.

2005, Mwelwa Musambachime, Basic Facts on Zambia, page 97:

Two species of crocodile inhabit Australian waterways: (a) the saltwater Crocodile — Crocodylus porosus, and (b) the freshwater crocodile — Crocodylus johnstoni.

2008, Walkter B. Wood, “Chapter 16: Forensic Identification in Fatal Crocodile Attacks”, in Marc Oxenham, editor, Forensic Approaches to Death, Disaster and Abuse, page 244:

One contained some brightly-coloured tropical birds, one a python and the other a large and very lively crocodile.
I told the customer that the boxes containing the crocodile and the python were not packed to my satisfaction, as there were not enough nails securing them.

2011, Sam Thaker, The Crocodile's Teeth, page 31:

Any of the predatory amphibious reptiles of the family Crocodylidae; (loosely) a crocodilian, any species of the order Crocodilia, which also includes the alligators, caimans and gavials.

Sometimes the kids from the slap-up boys' schools in Eastbourne used to be led round in crocodiles to hand out fags and peppermint creams to the 'wounded Tommies', as they called us.

1939, George Orwell, Coming Up for Air, part 2, chapter 8:

A long line or procession of people (especially children) walking together.

We have seen syllogisms, crocodiles, enthymemas, sorites, &c. explained and tried upon a boy of nine or ten years old in playful conversation[…]

1798, Maria Edgeworth, Practical Education:

(logic) A fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile.


crocodile

en-verb

crocodile (third-person singular simple present crocodiles, present participle crocodiling, simple past and past participle crocodiled)

crocodiles (present singular third-person)
crocodiling (participle present)
crocodiled (participle past)
crocodiled (past)

Derived from the noun as a calque of Esperanto krokodili.

[ˈkʰɹɑkədaɪɫ]

(intransitive, slang) To speak another language than Esperanto at an Esperanto-language gathering.

krokodili

to speak another language rather than Esperanto


caiman

From Spanish caimán or Portuguese caimão, from Kari'na acayouman.

Caimans are reptiles that are closely related to their Central and South American neighbors, the alligators. Adult caimans are usually four to six feet (1.8 m) in length.

1995, Laurie Agopian, Extended Thematic Unit: Rain Forest, page 32:

2002, International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Brown bear - Cheetah, 3rd Edition, page 358,
The caimans are found in South America, mainly in the Amazon basin, with one species extending into the southern part of Mexico and another reaching northern parts of Argentina.

Newly hatched caimans eat insects. Young caimans are eaten by Jabirus, Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and raccoons. Adult caimans have no predators except human poachers.

2010, Carrol L. Henderson, Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide, page 164:

(strictly) Any of the relatively small crocodilians of the genus Caiman, within the family Alligatoridae.

(loosely) A crocodilian of the subfamily Caimaninae, which includes the very large black caiman.

A semi-aquatic lizard, of the genus Dracaena, found in South America. To differentiate from caimans, they are referred to as caiman lizards.


mugger

A person who assaults and robs others, especially in a public place.


gavial

gavials (plural)
gharial (alternative)
gharrial (alternative)
ghavial (alternative)

From Hindi घड़ियाल (ghaṛiyāl). Doublet of gharial.

Cuvier had begun studying the fossils of crocodiles found near Caen and Honfleur in France. (They were, in fact, gavials, fine-jawed crocodiles that are nowadays found in India).

2002, Pierre-Henri Gouyon, Jean-Pierre Henry, Jacques Arnould, “Gene Avatars: The Neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution”, in Tiiu Ojasoo, transl., [1997, Les avatars du gène: La théorie néodarwinienne de l'évolution], page 28:

Although human remains and jewelry have been found in their stomachs, gavials are not as fierce as many alligators and crocodiles.

2006, Lynn Huggins-Cooper, Ravenous Reptiles, page 19:

Gavials (or gharials) are found only on the northern Indian subcontinent, where most are riverine, being best adapted to calmer areas in deep fast-flowing rivers.

2011, Joseph T. Springer, Dennis Holley, An Introduction to Zoology: Investigating the Animal World, page 415:

The crocodilian Gavialis gangeticus; any species of the family Gavialidae.


saltie

1998, Romulus Whitaker, Zai Whitaker, Crocodile Fever: Wildlife Adventures in New Guinea, Orient Longman, India, page 8,
‘Salties’ typically live in and around the coastal mangroves but are not uncommon hundreds of kilometres inland. A saltie grows to around seven metres in length and is the main Asian crocodile responsible for attacks on humans.

They like to spend their time in freshwater rivers in coastal waters. Saltwater crocodiles are fiercely territorial and fully mature male salties force younger and smaller salties into the ocean where they have to search for river systems.

2010, Lindsay Marsh, Dangerous Aussie Animals, page 40:

It is feared by those who live near it. For its part, the saltie fears nothing — except a larger crocodile.

2010, Nancy Cushing, Kevin Markwell, Snake-Bitten: Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park, page 94:

For their part, the others had been earnestly pointing out that there were in fact two types of crocodiles, saltwater and freshwater, and that only the salties were dangerous.

2011, A.J. Mackinnon, The Well at the World′s End, page 104:

(Australia, informal) A saltwater crocodile.


alligatorid

This species is large compared with known Eocene alligatorids, although its character states present a mosaic of resemblances to earlier and later alligatorids.

1956, Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, volume 31, page 554:

Although most alligatorids have ventral osteoderms, the American alligator usually has only poorly developed single osteoderms in the pectoral and midventral regions, if at all (Fig. 6C and D).

1989, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Crocodiles: Their Ecology, Management, and Conservation, page 24:

The oldest alligatorid, Navajosuchus mooki, is from the lowermost Paleocene (66-62 Ma).

2009, S. Blair Hedges, Sudhir Kumar, The timetree of life, →ISBN, page 403:

(zoology) Any reptile of the family Alligatoridae; a caiman or alligator.


gharial

/ˈɡɛə.ɹi.əl/

From Hindi घड़ियाल (ghaṛiyāl). Doublet of gavial.

Placed in a family by itself, the Gavialidae, the gharial has long been separated from the rest of the crocodilian stock, with the possible exception of Tomistoma (Densmore 1983).

1992, John B. Thorbjarnarson, Harry Messel, F. Wayne King, James Perran Ross, editors, Crocodiles: An Action Plan for Their Conservation, page 112:

We crossed the Rapti at Bijlipur, three miles from Balrampur, over a pontoon bridge, from where we would often see marsh crocodile and gharial lying on the sandbanks with their mouths open, absorbing the solar heat.

1993, Arjan Singh, The Legend of the Maneater, page 8:

1996, M. V. Subba Rao, Nesting Behaviour of the Indian Crocodiles, Gavialis gangeticus, Crocodylus plaustris and Crocodylus porosus (Reptilia: Crocodylidae), Geethabali R. Ramamurthi, Readings in Behaviour, page 213,
Gharials, Gavialis gangeticus are the inhabitants of deep, fast flowing rivers.

The gharial breathes air into its lungs, like caimans, alligators, and crocodiles. It can hold its breath and stay underwater for a long time—more than half an hour. Gharials can also hunt underwater. They even eat their food there.

2010, Steve Parker, Crocodiles, page 18:

One of the goals of our river expedition was to locate gharial. Gharial help crocodilians lay claim to being the ugliest reptiles, and perhaps the most ancient.

2013, Eric Dinerstein, Discovering Big Cat Country: On the trail of tigers and snow leopards, unnumbered page:


crocodilian

From crocodile + -ian; compare translingual Crocodilia.

1989, Walter P. Coombs, Jr., Modern analogs for dinosaur nesting and parental behavior, James Orville Farlow (editor), Paleobiology of the Dinosaurs, Issue 238, page 47,
Mound-nesting crocodilians and megapodes appear to be indifferent to nest-site parameters, but susceptibility of crocodilian mound nests to predation or drowning may be altered by site selection.

Superb predators, the crocodilians are reptiles, and the only survivors of the archosaurs that included dinosaurs.

2001, F. Lynne Bachleda, Dangerous Wildlife in the Southeast, page 33:

Crocodilians are essentially lizard-like in basic shape and are adapted to a largely aquatic life. ln water, they hunt and eat their prey and advertise their size and location by bellowing.

2001, Patricia Pope Bartlett, Billy Griswold, Richard D. Bartlett, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates: An Identification and Care Guide, page 191:

Any reptile of the order Crocodilia; a crocodile, alligator, caiman or gavial.


crocodyliform

(zoology) Any reptile of the order Crocodylia; the crocodiles, alligators etc.


freshie

en-noun

freshie (countable and uncountable, plural freshies)

From fresh + -ie. In the sense of an immigrant, shortened from fresh off the boat.

You've got a swell chance to make this [baseball] team, you have, not! Third base is my job, Freshie. Why, you tow-head, you couldn't play marbles.

1911 March, Zane Grey, “Out on the Field”, in The Young Pitcher, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC, page 64:

(countable, colloquial, US, Philippines) A freshman.

(countable, colloquial, UK) A new immigrant (usually to the UK).

(countable, colloquial, Australia) A freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni)


saltwater crocodile

saltwater crocodile (plural saltwater crocodiles)

A very large aquatic carnivorous crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), from Australia and South-East Asia


Nile crocodile

A large fierce carnivorous semi-aquatic African crocodile of species (Crocodylus niloticus).


black caiman

A large black carnivorous South American caiman (Melanosuchus niger).


yacare

yacares (plural)
jacare (alternative)
yakare (alternative)

Portuguese jacaré, from Old Tupi îakaré.

The yacare is not found farther south than the 32nd degree of south latitude. In its habit completely aquatic; and is never found excepting in the water or on the bank.

1859, Cassell's popular natural history, page 24:


crocodylid

(zoology) Any member of the family Crocodylidae; a crocodile.


gavialid

The gavialids, found in India, eat fish and have slender snouts.

1999, Patricia L. Barnes-Svarney, Thomas E. Svarney, The Oryx Guide to Natural History: The Earth and All Its Inhabitants, page 178:

Several genera of crocodiles, gavialids, and turtles evolved from Mesozoic stock.

2007, Thomas T. Veblen, Austin Kenneth R. Young, Antony R. Orme, The Physical Geography of South America, page 39:

The second was based on trees including Gavialis as the closest relative of Tomistoma, and two dates—the basal split within Crocodylia and the crocodylid–gavialid split—were estimated.

2009, Christopher A. Brochu, “Crocodylians (Crocodylia)”, in S. Blair Hedges, Sudhir Kumar, editors, The Timetree of Life, page 147:

(zoology) Any reptile of the family Gavialidae.


alligatoroid

Any crocodilian of the superfamily Alligatoroidea, which includes a number of extinct genera as well as the family Alligatoridae (alligators and caimans).


crocodyloid

Any crocodilian of the superfamily Crocodyloidea.


gavialoid

Any crocodylian of the superfamily Gavialoidea


planocraniid

(zoology) Any crocodylian of the family Planocraniidae.


American alligator

American alligator (plural American alligators)

Alligator mississippiensis
Alligator mississippiensis#Translingual

An alligator of a species native to the southeastern United States, Alligator mississippiensis.


Chinese alligator

Chinese alligator (plural Chinese alligators)

Alligator sinensis
Alligator sinensis#Translingual

An alligator native to eastern China, Alligator sinensis.


caimanine

(zoology) Any member of the subfamily Caimaninae within the Alligatoridae.


alligatorine

Any animal of the subfamily Alligatorinae


globidontan

Any alligatoroid of the clade Globidonta


tomistomine

A crocodylian of the subfamily Tomistominae, which includes one living species, the false gavial, and many extinct species.


false gavial

A freshwater crocodilian native to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, Tomistoma schlegelii.


mugger crocodile

mugger crocodile (plural mugger crocodiles)

A crocodile of species Crocodylus palustris


spectacled caiman

spectacled caiman (plural spectacled caimans)

Caiman crocodilus
Caiman crocodilus#Translingual

A crocodilian native to the warmer parts of Latin America, Caiman crocodilus, which, despite the specific epithet, is more closely related to alligators than crocodiles.


murder log

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-murder log.wav

From a likening of the appearance of a crocodilian waiting to ambush prey to that of a log submerged in water.

They tell us the murder logs are *not* NASA employees.

2018 April 16, Dan Broadbent (@aSciEnthusiast), Twitter:

Teaching in Florida is great because there are always murder logs outside your classroom. #alligator

2018 April 20, Jason Herbert, Ph.D. (@HerbertHistory), Twitter:

Toss in some “murder logs” and you have the best moat ever

2020 September 29, Liset (@Krzwyf), Twitter:

(Internet slang, humorous) An alligator or crocodile.


estuarine crocodile

estuarine crocodile (plural estuarine crocodiles)

saltwater crocodile
saltwater crocodile#English

Synonym of saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)


Orinoco crocodile

Orinoco crocodile (plural Orinoco crocodiles)

A South American crocodile of species Crocodylus intermedius.


Cuban crocodile

Cuban crocodile (plural Cuban crocodiles)

A crocodile of species Crocodylus rhombifer, endemic to Cuba.


American crocodile

American crocodile (plural American crocodiles)

A crocodilian of species Crocodylus acutus, native to the neotropics.


Cuvier's dwarf caiman

Cuvier's dwarf caiman (plural Cuvier's dwarf caimans)

Paleosuchus palpebrosus, a small crocodilian native to northern and central South America.


dwarf crocodile

dwarf crocodile (plural dwarf crocodiles)

The smallest of living crocodile, of species Osteolaemus tetraspis, native to the tropical regions of sub-Saharan West Africa and Central Africa.


Morelet's crocodile

Morelet's crocodile (plural Morelet's crocodiles)

A crocodile of species Crocodylus moreletii.