Illustration of alligator
- alligator 1
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
Examples of alligator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Police have charged the mother of a 12-year-old boy who officials believe was killed due to an alligator attack after escaping his room.
—
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The hunters received assistance from another crew with loading the alligator all the way onto the boat.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The police department also requested wildlife officials to eradicate alligators in the body of water where Bryan was found.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
The subject of snails stemmed from Mercier’s long fascination with history and time — snails like alligators predate back to 500 million years ago with the only thing changing are their sizes.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alligator
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Julia Gomez, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The hunters received assistance from another crew with loading the alligator all the way onto the boat.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The police department also requested wildlife officials to eradicate alligators in the body of water where Bryan was found.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
The subject of snails stemmed from Mercier’s long fascination with history and time — snails like alligators predate back to 500 million years ago with the only thing changing are their sizes.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alligator
Cite this Entry
“Alligator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alligator. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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"
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