caiman
caiman — noun
- caimansingular
- caimansplural
1. a reptile that lives in rivers and swamps in tropical parts of the Americas and
a reptile that lives in rivers and swamps in tropical parts of the Americas and looks like an alligator
During the boat tour, Theo pointed at a caiman beside the muddy bank.
spot a caiman by the bank
At the zoo, Hannah read that the young caiman eats fish and insects.
young caiman eats fish and insects
A park ranger warned Christopher not to feed the caiman near the dock.
In the swamp, Manuela photographed a caiman resting under low branches.
At sunset, Sahil saw two caimans slide quietly into the dark water.
two caimans slide into the water
- young caiman
- feed the caiman
- spot a caiman
- cayman
a spelling variant of the same animal name
Grammar Patterns
a caiman
two caimans
Usage Note
Often used in wildlife, zoo, or travel contexts rather than everyday conversation. Cayman is a common alternative spelling for the same animal name.
Etymology
First known use
1577
1577, in the meaning defined above