Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alligator

/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.32 in modern English

Syllables
al-li-ga-tor
IPA
/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/
10
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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.

noun

A crocodilian of the subfamily Alligatorinae.

noun

A dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)

noun

A crocodile of any species.

Dated

noun

Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.

noun

Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.

noun

Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.

noun

Any of various vehicles that have relatively long, low noses in front of a cab or other, usually windowed, structure.

Example Sentences

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”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/
  • British English: /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

alligators (plural) alligators (present, singular) alligatoring (participle, present) alligatored (participle, past) alligatored (past)

Derived Forms

alligatored alligatorfish alligatoring alligatorlike alligatorweed alligatorwood alligatory gator werealligator

Phrases

Allegheny alligator Alligator Alley alligator apple alligator bait alligator clamp alligator clip alligator fish alligator flag

Frequently Paired Words

caiman cayman croc crocodile gavial gharial

Synonyms

gator

Homonyms

allegator

Rhymes With

later greater creator narrator traitor translator dictator waiter cater crater curator spectator

Questions

How do you pronounce alligator?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/.
What does alligator mean?
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.
Where does alligator come from?
It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce alligator

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “alligator”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “alligator”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “alligator” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.