caiman

• cayman

From Spanish caimán or Portuguese caimão, from Kari'na acayouman.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪ.mən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪmən

caiman (plural caimans)

1. (strictly) Any of the relatively small crocodilians of the genus Caiman, within the family Alligatoridae.
   • 1995, Laurie Agopian, Extended Thematic Unit: Rain Forest, page 32:

     Caimans are reptiles that are closely related to their Central and South American neighbors, the alligators. Adult caimans are usually four to six feet (1.8 m) in length.

   • 2002, International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Brown bear - Cheetah, 3rd Edition, page 358,

     The caimans are found in South America, mainly in the Amazon basin, with one species extending into the southern part of Mexico and another reaching northern parts of Argentina.

   • 2010, Carrol L. Henderson, Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide, page 164:

     Newly hatched caimans eat insects. Young caimans are eaten by Jabirus, Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and raccoons. Adult caimans have no predators except human poachers.

2. (loosely) A crocodilian of the subfamily Caimaninae, which includes the very large black caiman.
3. A semi-aquatic lizard, of the genus Dracaena, found in South America. To differentiate from caimans, they are referred to as caiman lizards.

• alligator, gator
• crocodile, croc
• gavial, gharial

• caiman on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• -maniac, Mancia, mancia, maniac

Borrowed from Spanish caimán, from Kari'na acayuman.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [kəjˈman]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [kajˈman]
• Rhymes: -an

caiman m (plural caimans)

1. caiman

• “caiman”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Borrowed from French caïman.

• IPA^(key): /kajˈman/
• Hyphenation: cai‧man

caiman m (plural caimani)

1. caiman