Gator
/ˈɡeɪ.tər/noun
An informal word for an alligator.
Did you know?“Gator” is just a clipped form of “alligator,” and the full word entered English from Spanish el lagarto, originally meaning “the lizard.”
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Spanish
el lagarto
“the lizard”
16th-17th Century
English
alligator
“a large reptile; from Spanish, reshaped in English”
19th Century
English
gator
“a clipped informal shortening of alligator”
Modern English
English
gator
“an informal word for an alligator”
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