alligator · Contextualize

Etymology

] 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”).

derived from lacertus
derived from el

Definitions

1
Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or…
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.
- 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.
- In 1967, the federal government declared alligators to be an Endangered Species and prohibited gator hunting and the sale of hides. The alligator responded and by the mid-1970s, the reptile numbers soared to an estimated half-million.
A member of the family Alligatoridae, which includes the caimans.
A dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
›+ 7 more definitionsshow fewer
1. 4
  A crocodile of any species.
  - Alligators were very numerous, in fact the harbour was infested by them.
2. Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an…
  Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.
3. Any of various vehicles that have relatively long, low noses in front of a cab or other,…
  Any of various vehicles that have relatively long, low noses in front of a cab or other, usually windowed, structure.
4. An alligator-skin shoe.
5. A swing music fan or performer, especially one who is white.
6. 9
  To crack in a pattern resembling an alligator's skin.
  - Alligatoring is a result of the sun making the top surface of the asphalt brittle.
  - Sealing an area that is alligatoring is a temporary solution that may delay having to replace the asphalt for several years. A more permanent repair would be to replace the alligatored section.
  - Common burn indicators include alligatoring, crazing, the depth of char, lines of demarcation, sagged furniture springs and spalling.
7. 10
  Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which the speaker counts out loud,…
  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.
  - The same way people will count the seconds between lightning and thunder, I counted the seconds between coughs. One-alligator, two-alligator, three-alligator.

The neighborhood

Derived

Allegheny alligator, Alligator Alcatraz, Alligator Alley, alligator apple, alligator bait, alligator clamp, alligator clip, alligatored, alligator fish, alligatorfish, alligator flag, alligator forceps, alligator gar, alligator grass, alligatoring, alligator juniper, alligator leather, alligatorlike, alligator lizard, alligator pear, alligator pepper, Alligator Pond, alligator press, alligator saw, alligator shear, alligator snapper, alligator snapping turtle, alligator spread, alligator terrapin, alligator tortoise, alligator turtle, alligator-turtle, alligatorweed, alligator-wood, alligatorwood, alligator wrench, American alligator, big-lipped alligator moment, Chinese alligator, gator · +6 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at alligator. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

A definitional loop anchored at alligator. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at alligator

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.