different between aalligator vs crocodile

English

Etymology

From Middle English cocodrill, cokadrill, cokedril, from Old French cocodril (modern French crocodile), from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek ??????????? (krokódeilos). The word was later refashioned after the Latin and Greek forms. Doublet of krokodil.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k??k?da?l/, [?k???k?da??]
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k??k?da?l/
• Hyphenation: croc?o?dile

Noun

crocodile (plural crocodiles)

1. 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.
   • 2005, Mwelwa Musambachime, Basic Facts on Zambia, page 97,

     Industrial and rural expansion is shrinking and destroying the Nile crocodile's natural habitat. The Nile crocodiles, in particular, have been a source of highly durable leather for a variety of products which can be crafted and manufactured.

   • 2008, Walkter B. Wood, Chapter 16: Forensic Identification in Fatal Crocodile Attacks, Marc Oxenham (editor), Forensic Approaches to Death, Disaster and Abuse, page 244,

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

   • 2011, Sam Thaker, The Crocodile's Teeth, page 31,

     One contained some brightly-coloured tropical birds, one a python and the other a large and very lively crocodile.

     I told the customer that the boxes containing the crocodile and the python were not packed to my satisfaction, as there were not enough nails securing them.

2. A long line or procession of people (especially children) walking together.
   • 1939, George Orwell, Coming Up for Air, part 2, chapter 8

     Sometimes the kids from the slap-up boys' schools in Eastbourne used to be led round in crocodiles to hand out fags and peppermint creams to the 'wounded Tommies', as they called us.

3. (logic) A fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile.
   • 1798, Maria Edgeworth, Practical Education

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

Synonyms

• (predatory amphibious reptile): croc (informal)

Derived terms

Related terms

• crocodilian

Descendants

• ? Maori: kokorotaera, karakotaera

Translations

Verb

crocodile (third-person singular simple present crocodiles, present participle crocodiling, simple past and past participle crocodiled)

1. (intransitive) To speak one's native language at an Esperanto-language gathering, rather than Esperanto.

Translations

See also

• alligator
• caiman, cayman
• freshie, freshy
• gator
• gavial, gharial
• saltie

References

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek ??????????? (krokódeilos); replaced Old French cocodril, which is from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, by metathesis from the classical form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.k?.dil/

Noun

crocodile m (plural crocodiles)

1. crocodile

Derived terms

Descendants

• Antillean Creole: krokodil
• Mauritian Creole: krokodil
• Seychellois Creole: krokodil
• ? Romanian: crocodil
• ? Persian: ????????? (krokodil)

Further reading

• “crocodile” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norman

Etymology

From Old French cocodril, from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Classical Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek ??????????? (krokódeilos).

Noun

crocodile f (plural crocodiles)

1. (Jersey) crocodile