noun
caiman
KAY-muhn
noun
1
A crocodile-like reptile found in Central and South America, related to alligators.
"A caiman slid silently into the murky river."
"The black caiman is one of the largest predators in the Amazon."
How to Use Caiman
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA type of alligator-like reptile native to the Americas.
Common mistake
Not to be confused with "Cayman," the island chain — the spellings are often mixed up.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
caimans plural
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A _____ slid silently into the murky river.
Etymology
From Spanish caimán or Portuguese caimão, itself from a Cariban word, acayouman.