caiman
noun
cai·man ˈkā-mən 
kā-ˈman,
kī-
variants or less commonly cayman
: any of several Central and South American crocodilians (genera Caiman, Melanosuchus, and Paleosuchus) similar to alligators
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web One encounter with a dangerous caiman (a South American cousin of a crocodile) that lives in the Amazon is one of the most startling survival battles ever caught on camera. 
Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2022 In 2018 a family came upon a 3-foot dwarf caiman while walking their dog in Lexington. Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 2 June 2022 The zoo did not say in the post if the reptile was an alligator, crocodile, or caiman. David Aaro, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2022 Despite the hazards, the Pororoca is popular with surfers, who don’t mind sharing a wave with a caiman or a piranha. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022 The dwarf caiman species is the smallest of the alligator family and typically grows to about four feet, according to Animal Diversity Web. Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, 28 Apr. 2021 The Guatemalan guerrilla was created at the beginning of the 1960s, in the mountains, by a ghost and a caiman. Eduardo Halfon, The New York Review of Books, 9 Nov. 2020 In fact, this ancient caiman had a bite force of seven tons, more than four times the strongest bite ever measured in the animal kingdom, study author Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi said in an email. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 25 Aug. 2020 The crystal structures in sea turtle and caiman tears were the most distinctive, likely a product of adapting to their aquatic environments. Lauren Kent, CNN, 13 Aug. 2020 See More
Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2022 In 2018 a family came upon a 3-foot dwarf caiman while walking their dog in Lexington. Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 2 June 2022 The zoo did not say in the post if the reptile was an alligator, crocodile, or caiman. David Aaro, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2022 Despite the hazards, the Pororoca is popular with surfers, who don’t mind sharing a wave with a caiman or a piranha. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022 The dwarf caiman species is the smallest of the alligator family and typically grows to about four feet, according to Animal Diversity Web. Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, 28 Apr. 2021 The Guatemalan guerrilla was created at the beginning of the 1960s, in the mountains, by a ghost and a caiman. Eduardo Halfon, The New York Review of Books, 9 Nov. 2020 In fact, this ancient caiman had a bite force of seven tons, more than four times the strongest bite ever measured in the animal kingdom, study author Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi said in an email. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 25 Aug. 2020 The crystal structures in sea turtle and caiman tears were the most distinctive, likely a product of adapting to their aquatic environments. Lauren Kent, CNN, 13 Aug. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Spanish caimán, probably from Carib caymán
First Known Use
1577, in the meaning defined above