I. ˈkräkəˌdīl noun
( -s ; see sense 1 )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by Latin crocodilus ) of Middle English cocodrille, from Old French, from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, alteration of Latin crocodilus, corcodillus, from Greek krokodeilos, krokodilos, alteration of (assumed) krokodrilos, from krokē pebble + drilos worm; akin to Sanskrit śarkara pebble — more at sugar
1. plural sometimes crocodile
a. : any of several large thick-skinned long-bodied aquatic reptiles of tropical and subtropical waters constituting Crocodylus and one or two closely related genera and including certain voracious forms (as the Nile crocodile [ C. niloticus ] or the very large estuarine crocodile [ C. porosus ] of eastern Asia and the Pacific islands) that do not hesitate to attack man
b. : a reptile of the order Loricata — see alligator
c. : crocodiles' skin tanned for use in manufacturing (as of handbags, shoes, luggage, and belts)
2. archaic : one who hypocritically affects sorrow — compare crocodile tears
3. chiefly Britain : a number of persons moving in a long file ; especially : the file formed by the members of a school out for a walk
[s]crocodil.jpg[/s] [
crocodile 1a
]
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
of paints : alligator