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# gator

«gator» in Mova's school dictionary: **short for an alligator, a large reptile with strong jaws…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun, informal (a gator, gators)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (informal, US) A gator is short for an alligator, a large reptile with strong jaws that lives in rivers and swamps in the southern USA and China. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#m1)

2) (informal) A small off-road farm or utility vehicle, from a brand name. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

Used in US talk, especially Florida and Louisiana, and in stories and nature shows. Safety: never feed or go near gators; stay away from the water's edge in gator areas. Phrases: «watch out for gators», «See you later, alligator — in a while, crocodile».

### examples

- We saw a gator sunning itself by the pond. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#x1)
- Signs said «Beware of gators». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#x2)
- The gator slid silently into the water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#x3)
- Never swim where gators live. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#x4)
- The Florida team is called the Gators. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#x5)
- A baby gator is only as long as a pencil. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/#x6)

### note

Informal clipped form of «alligator». Alligators have wider, U-shaped snouts; crocodiles have narrower, V-shaped snouts. Capital G for a team name.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «gator» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gator/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.