Crocodilian

Pronunciation: /krəˌkɑˈdɪliən/

Definitions of crocodilian

noun a member of the order Crocodylia, which includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials

Example Sentences

A1 Crocodilians are large reptiles that live in water.

A2 I saw a crocodilian at the zoo during my visit.

B1 Crocodilians have a powerful bite force that they use to catch their prey.

B2 Researchers study the behavior of crocodilians in their natural habitat.

C1 Conservation efforts are being made to protect endangered crocodilian species.

C2 The evolutionary history of crocodilians dates back millions of years.

Examples of crocodilian in a Sentence

formal The crocodilian species includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials.

informal I saw a huge crocodilian sunbathing by the river.

slang Watch out for that crocodilian lurking in the water!

figurative His smile was like that of a crocodilian, hiding his true intentions.

Grammatical Forms of crocodilian

• past tense: crocodilianized
• plural: crocodilians
• comparative: more crocodilian
• superlative: most crocodilian
• present tense: crocodilianize
• future tense: will crocodilianize
• perfect tense: have crocodilianized
• continuous tense: is crocodilianizing
• singular: crocodilian
• positive degree: crocodilian
• infinitive: to crocodilianize
• gerund: crocodilianizing
• participle: crocodilianized

Origin and Evolution of crocodilian

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin and Greek

Story behind the word: The word 'crocodilian' originates from the Latin word 'crocodilus' which in turn comes from the Greek word 'krokódeilos' meaning 'lizard with pebble-like skin'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to any member of the Crocodylia order, the term 'crocodilian' has evolved to specifically refer to the subfamily Crocodylinae, which includes true crocodiles.