alligator

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/; /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is an alteration of Spanish el lagarto (“the lizard”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from el “the” (Latin ille “that”)^[2][3][5] and lagarto “lizard”,^[2][3] from Vulgar Latin *lacartus,^[3][6] from Latin lacertus (“lizard”).^[2][3][4][5] The Spanish phrase in full was el lagarto de Indias, “the lizard of the Indies”.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A large reptile of the Americas related to the crocodile, recorded in 1568 as lagarto.^[7][2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Early English forms were lagarto and aligarto;^[4][5] the form allegater appears in Shakespeare in 1623.^[2][4] The final -r is unetymological, as in tater and feller,^[5] and the American Heritage Dictionary suggests the reshaping is a kind of taboo deformation, common in names of feared creatures.^[2] The word was later applied to tools and machines with strong jaws, such as alligator clips.^[2][7][6] In the swing era (1936) an alligator was a jazz fan who did not play,^[7][5][6] and see you later, alligator is from a 1956 song title.^[5]

Timeline

• 1568 – lagarto, the reptile.^[7][4][2]
• 1591 – aligarto.^[4]
• 1623 – allegater, the modern form.^[4][2][5]
• 1869 – of shoes and bags, made of alligator skin.^[7]
• 1936 – a swing-music fan.^[7][5]
• 1956 – see you later, alligator.^[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Either of two large crocodilians with broad snouts, one of the southeastern United States and one of China.
2. Leather made from alligator hide.
3. A tool or fastener with strong, often toothed jaws.
4. (jazz) A keen fan of swing music.

Verb

1. Of paint or varnish, to crack in a pattern like alligator hide.

Word family

• alligatoring
• gator
• alligator clip
• alligator weed
• alligator pear
• alligator shear
• alligator wrench

Related words

• lizard
• crocodile
• cayman

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press