crocodile
English
Nile crocodiles
Etymology
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.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/, [ˈkʰɹɑkədaɪɫ]
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɹɒkədaɪl/
Audio (UK) (file)
- Hyphenation: croc‧o‧dile[1]
Noun
crocodile (plural crocodiles)
- 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.
- 2005, Mwelwa Musambachime, Basic Facts on Zambia, page 97,
- Industrial and rural expansion is shrinking and destroying the Nile crocodile's natural habitat. The Nile crocodiles, in particular, have been a source of highly durable leather for a variety of products which can be crafted and manufactured.
- 2008, Walkter B. Wood, Chapter 16: Forensic Identification in Fatal Crocodile Attacks, Marc Oxenham (editor), Forensic Approaches to Death, Disaster and Abuse, page 244,
- Two species of crocodile inhabit Australian waterways: (a) the saltwater Crocodile — Crocodylus porosus, and (b) the freshwater crocodile — Crocodylus johnstoni.
- 2011, Sam Thaker, The Crocodile's Teeth, page 31,
- One contained some brightly-coloured tropical birds, one a python and the other a large and very lively crocodile.
- I told the customer that the boxes containing the crocodile and the python were not packed to my satisfaction, as there were not enough nails securing them.
- 2005, Mwelwa Musambachime, Basic Facts on Zambia, page 97,
- A long line or procession of people (especially children) walking together.
- 1939, George Orwell, Coming Up for Air, part 2, chapter 8
- Sometimes the kids from the slap-up boys' schools in Eastbourne used to be led round in crocodiles to hand out fags and peppermint creams to the 'wounded Tommies', as they called us.
- 1939, George Orwell, Coming Up for Air, part 2, chapter 8
- (logic) A fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile.
- 1798, Maria Edgeworth, Practical Education
- We have seen syllogisms, crocodiles, enthymemas, sorites, &c. explained and tried upon a boy of nine or ten years old in playful conversation […]
- 1798, Maria Edgeworth, Practical Education
Synonyms
- (predatory amphibious reptile): croc (informal)
Derived terms
- after a while, crocodile
- American crocodile
- Australian freshwater crocodile
- black crocodile
- crocodile bird
- crocodile clip
- crocodile shear
- crocodile tears
- Cuban crocodile
- dwarf crocodile
- estuarine crocodile
- freshwater crocodile
- in a while, crocodile
- Johnston's crocodile
- Morelet's crocodile
- mugger crocodile
- New Guinea crocodile
- Nile crocodile
- Orinoco crocodile
- Philippine crocodile
- saltwater crocodile
- Siamese crocodile
- slender-snouted crocodile
- swamp crocodile
Related terms
- crocodilian
Descendants
- → Maori: kokorotaera, karakotaera
- → Niuean: kirokotaili
- → Tokelauan: kolokotaila
- → Tongan: kalokataile
- → Welsh: crocodeil
Translations
reptile
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line or procession
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logic: fallacious dilemma
Verb
crocodile (third-person singular simple present crocodiles, present participle crocodiling, simple past and past participle crocodiled)
- (intransitive) To speak one's native language at an Esperanto-language gathering, rather than Esperanto.
Translations
to speak one's native language rather than Esperanto
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See also
- alligator
- caiman, cayman
- croc
- freshie, freshy
- gator
- gavial, gharial
- mugger
- saltie
References
- Hyphenation exception log, Barbara Beeton, 2015, online at
French
Etymology
From Old French cocodril, inherited from Latin crocodīlus with metathesis, later respelled to match the Latin form. Compare English crocodile, itself respelled from Middle English cocodrill.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kʁɔ.kɔ.dil/
audio (file)
Noun
crocodile m (plural crocodiles)
- crocodile
Derived terms
- crocodile à double crête
- crocodile de mer
- crocodile marin
- larmes de crocodile
Related terms
- crocodilée
- crocodilien
Descendants
- Antillean Creole: krokodil
- Mauritian Creole: krokodil
- Seychellois Creole: krokodil
- → Romanian: crocodil
- → Persian: کروکودیل (krokodil)
Further reading
- “crocodile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
- “crocodile” in Émile Littré, Dictionnaire de la langue française, 1872–1877.
Norman
Etymology
From Old French cocodril, from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Classical Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos).
Noun
crocodile f (plural crocodiles)
- (Jersey) crocodile