English Explanatory Dictionary

crocodile

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  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.
  2. A long line or procession of people (especially children) walking together.
  3. A fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile.
  4. greedy or corrupt person (especially a politician or any public official)
verb
  1. To speak another language than Esperanto at an Esperanto-language gathering.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/ [ˈkʰɹɑkədaɪɫ] /ˈkɹɒkədaɪl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-crocodile.wav /ˈkɹakədo̞ɪl/ /ˈkɹakədəɪl/ /ˈkɾakədo̞ɪl/ /ˈkɾakədəɪl/ /krɵkəˈdajl/ /ˌkrɔkəˌdajl/ /ˌkrokəˌdajl/

Word forms

crocodile crocodiles crocodiling crocodiled

Etymology

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

Synonyms

croc

Related words

crocodilian alligator caiman cayman croc freshie freshy gator gavial gharial mugger saltie

Derived words

after a while, crocodile American crocodile Australian freshwater crocodile black crocodile Chinese crocodile lizard crocodile bird crocodile clip crocodiledom crocodilelike crocodile shear crocodile tears crocodile tegu crocodility crocoduck Cuban crocodile dwarf crocodile estuarine crocodile fish-eating crocodile freshwater crocodile in a while, crocodile Indo-Pacific crocodile Johnston's crocodile marsh crocodile Mindoro crocodile Morelet's crocodile mugger crocodile New Guinea crocodile Nile crocodile Orinoco crocodile Philippine crocodile Philippine freshwater crocodile saltwater crocodile Siamese crocodile slender-snouted crocodile swamp crocodile werecrocodile
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