crocodile

CEFRA2

/ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A large reptile with a long body, strong jaws, and a hard skin.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

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

Examples

  • Don't be taken in by her crocodile tears.

  • His leg was bitten by a crocodile.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • [ˈkʰɹɑkədaɪɫ]
  • /ˈkɹakədəɪl/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

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

  2. 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.

  3. greedy or corrupt person (especially a politician or any public official)

More examples

In context

  • The Roman poet Horace states that the excrement of the crocodile has aphrodisiac virtues.

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

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

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The huge blank basked on the riverbank, its jaws slightly open.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Inherited 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.