Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “alligator” come from?

Alligator comes from Latin alligator, derived from Latin alligo (to bind to), formed from the prefix ad- (to) and Latin ligo (to bind).

alligator (English): Either of two species of large amphibious...

Definitions

  1. Either of two species of large amphibious...

Ancestry of “alligator”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishalligater—
2Spanishlagartolizard; beer
3Old Spanishlagarto—
4Vulgar Latin*lacartum—
5LatinlacertusAlternative form of lacerta: a lizard; The...
6Latinlacertalizard; ablative singular of lacerta

Words derived from “alligator”

  • alligatoring
  • alligatored
  • alligatorlike
  • alligatorfish
  • aligator
  • alligator
  • aligátor
  • al·ligàtor
  • アリゲーター
  • alligator
  • Alligatorinae
  • Alligator
  • Alligatoridae
  • 앨리게이터
  • ailigéadar
  • aligator
  • alligator
Every word from Latin lacerta →