Question 1 · Quick check
alligator
CEFRB1
/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/
noun
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
noun
A large reptile with strong jaws that lives near water.
- 02
noun
Extra detailA crocodilian of the subfamily Alligatorinae.
Examples
Can you tell an alligator from a crocodile?
Do you know how to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
At a glance
Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 1
- Citations
- 5
- Synonyms
- 1
Also pronounced
- /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡæɪ.tə/
Deep Dive
noun
Extra meaningsA dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
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.
Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.
More examples
In contextSee you later, alligator.
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.
Related
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.
Nearby
Origin
noun
] 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”).