alligator snapper

2 definitions found

alligator snapper - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Alligator \Al"li*ga`tor\, n. [Sp. el lagarto the lizard (el
     lagarto de Indias, the cayman or American crocodile), fr. L.
     lacertus, lacerta, lizard. See Lizard.]
     1. (Zool.) A large carnivorous reptile of the Crocodile
        family, peculiar to America. It has a shorter and broader
        snout than the crocodile, and the large teeth of the lower
        jaw shut into pits in the upper jaw, which has no marginal
        notches. Besides the common species of the southern United
        States, there are allied species in South America.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Mech.) Any machine with strong jaws, one of which opens
        like the movable jaw of an alligator; as,
        (a) (Metal Working) a form of squeezer for the puddle
            ball.;
        (b) (Mining) a rock breaker;
        (c) (Printing) a kind of job press, called also alligator  press
            .
            [1913 Webster]
  
     Alligator apple (Bot.), the fruit of the Anona palustris,
        a West Indian tree. It is said to be narcotic in its
        properties. --Loudon.
  
     Alligator fish (Zool.), a marine fish of northwestern
        America (Podothecus acipenserinus).
  
     Alligator gar (Zool.), one of the gar pikes (Lepidosteus  spatula
        ) found in the southern rivers of the United
        States. The name is also applied to other species of gar
        pikes.
  
     Alligator pear (Bot.), a corruption of Avocado pear. See
        Avocado.
  
     Alligator snapper, Alligator tortoise, Alligator turtle
        (Zool.), a very large and voracious turtle (Macrochelys  lacertina
        ) inhabiting the rivers of the southern United
        States. It sometimes reaches the weight of two hundred
        pounds. Unlike the common snapping turtle, to which the
        name is sometimes erroneously applied, it has a scaly head
        and many small scales beneath the tail. This name is
        sometimes given to other turtles, as to species of
        Trionyx.
  
     Alligator wood, the timber of a tree of the West Indies
        (Guarea Swartzii).
        [1913 Webster]

alligator snapper - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  alligator snapper
      n 1: large species having three ridges on its back; found in
           southeastern United States [syn: alligator snapping turtle
           , alligator snapper, Macroclemys temmincki]