alligatoring

Meanings

1. A pattern of cracking of paint on a surface leaving roughly hexagonal areas of uncracked paint.
2. The cracking of the surfacing bitumen on a bituminous roof or coating on a SPF roof, producing a pattern of cracks similar to an alligator's hide.
3. A manufacturing defect that can occur during rolling in which the metal sheet splits in half across a plane parallel to the rolling plane, resulting in a shape resembling an alligator mouth.

1. present participle and gerund of alligator