crocodile

noun

croc·​o·​dile ˈkrä-kə-ˌdī(-ə)l How to pronounce crocodile (audio)
Synonyms of crocodilenext
1
a
: any of several large, carnivorous, thick-skinned, long-bodied, aquatic reptiles (family Crocodylidae and especially genus Crocodylus) of tropical and subtropical waters that have a long, tapered, V-shaped snout
broadly : crocodilian
b
: the skin or hide of a crocodile
2
chiefly British : a line of people (such as schoolchildren) usually walking in pairs

Illustration of crocodile

Illustration of crocodile
  • crocodile 1a

Examples of crocodile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the luxury fashion house’s Fall/Winter 2026-2027 shoot, Harper modeled a tiny pencil skirt and red crocodile print pumps. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026 The team focused on images of Rainbow Serpents, including one 20 feet long with a fierce crocodile head, a long tongue, and razor-sharp teeth. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating and assessing the situation, and authorities urge the public to report any crocodile sightings in their neighborhoods immediately. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 Unlike alligators, their more common cousins, American crocodiles are federally and state protected because their populations in Florida are still rebounding after being almost completely wiped out by the 1970s. — David Goodhue august 27, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crocodile

Word History

Etymology

Middle English & Latin; Middle English cocodrille, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, alteration of Latin crocodilus, from Greek krokodilos lizard, crocodile, from krokē shingle, pebble + drilos worm; akin to Sanskrit śarkara pebble

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of crocodile was in 1555

Phrases Containing crocodile

Rhymes for crocodile

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Browse Nearby Words

crocky
crocodile
crocodile bird
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Cite this Entry

“Crocodile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crocodile. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

crocodile

noun
croc·​o·​dile ˈkräk-ə-ˌdīl How to pronounce crocodile (audio)
1
: any of several large thick-skinned long-bodied reptiles of tropical and subtropical waters compare alligator
2
: the skin or hide of a crocodile
Etymology

from Middle English cocodrille "crocodile," from early French cocodrille (same meaning), from Latin cocodrillus and earlier crocodilus "crocodile," from Greek krokodeilos "crocodile, lizard"

Word Origin
The word crocodile is taken from Greek krokodeilos, which is probably modified from a compound of krokē, "pebble, stone," and an obscure word drilos, which may have meant "worm." According to the ancient Greek writer Herodotus, some Greeks gave this name to the lizards that lived among the stone walls of their farms. When these Greeks visited Egypt, the enormous reptiles of the Nile River reminded them of the lizards and they applied the same name to them. (The more usual ancient Greek word for "lizard" was sauros, which we see in the Latin scientific names of many dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus, and in the word dinosaur itself.) The Romans took Greek krokodeilos into Latin as crocodilus. However, later speakers shifted the r from the first to the third syllable, giving cocodrilus or cocodrillus. It was this form that was taken into medieval French and later into Middle English as cocodrille. Later, as Englishmen became better acquainted with the classical Latin of ancient Rome, the English word was changed to better reflect Latin crocodilus, and cocodrille was eventually forgotten.

More from Merriam-Webster on crocodile

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