alligator
noun
alĀ·liĀ·gaĀ·tor
| \ Ėa-lÉ-ĖgÄ-tÉr
\
\
Definition of alligator
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
Meet everything from alligators to axolotls to hedgehogs, all locally bred and ready to meet exotic animal enthusiasts. — Anchorage Daily News, "Fun things this week: Elle King at the state fair, Queen sing-along and reptiles for the whole family," 29 Aug. 2019 Stories about alligators are seemingly never lacking in Florida. — Fox News, "Huge alligator in Florida spotted scaling fence at Navy base: 'They don't respect our security measures'," 21 Aug. 2019 Also beginning September 1, all alligator gar harvested from public freshwater and saltwater bodies, other than Falcon International Reservoir, must be reported to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department within 24 hours of harvest. — Marcy De Luna, Houston Chronicle, "TPWD: Anglers can enter drawing to harvest alligator gar from Trinity River," 20 Aug. 2019 Florida alligators had quite the week last weekāeven by Florida standards. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "From Scaling Fences to Swimming Through Intersections, Florida Alligators Had Quite the Week," 19 Aug. 2019 Texas currently imposes no length restrictions on alligator gar. — Shannon Tompkins, ExpressNews.com, "Texas hunters, anglers in for big rule changes," 16 Aug. 2019 An alligator control agent was called in and the gator was captured and euthanized. — CBS News, "Alligator attacks woman walking her dog in South Carolina," 14 Aug. 2019 It was signed into law by President Nixon in 1973 and has since been credited with saving hundreds of species, including the iconic bald eagle, grizzly bear and American alligator. — Kurtis Alexander, SFChronicle.com, "Trump weakens Endangered Species Act, California state promises to put up a fight," 12 Aug. 2019 Raising Caneās, Dat Dog offers gourmet sausages, all-beef hot dogs, or unconventional choices such as crawfish and alligator sausages, with toppings from blackberry sauce to guacamole, chipotle mayo and crawfish etouffee. — William Thornton | [email protected], al, "New Orleansā Dat Dog planning Birmingham locations," 8 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alligator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for alligator
alligator
noun
English Language Learners Definition of alligator
: a large reptile that has a long body, thick skin, and sharp teeth, that lives in the tropical parts of the U.S. and China, and that is related to crocodiles
: the skin of an alligator used for making shoes and other products
See the full definition for alligator in the English Language Learners Dictionary
alligator
noun
alĀ·liĀ·gaĀ·tor
| \ Ėa-lÉ-ĖgÄ-tÉr
\
\
Kids Definition of alligator
: a large short-legged reptile that has a long body, thick skin, a long broad snout, and sharp teeth and is related to the crocodile and lizards
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