alligator pear

noun

1. avocado ( def 1 ).

alligator pear

noun

1. another name for avocado

Word History and Origins

Origin of alligator pear¹

First recorded in 1755–65; alligator, alteration by folk etymology of Latin American Spanish (Mexico) aguacate ; with reference to the fruit's bumpy skin; avocado

Example Sentences

The references may have changed — “alligator pears” instead of avocado toast; Vionnet, not Vuori; telegrams rather than texting — but the preoccupation with love, money, fun and trouble is eternal.

From New York Times

The fruits were beautiful inside the windows—bananas, oranges, alligator pears, bright little kumquats, and even a few pineapples.

From Literature

Same with avocado, which achieved superstardom after dropping the name “alligator pear.”

From Salon

That is how I come to climb up the alligator pear tree when I saw them.

From Literature

At some point by the late 19th century, Americans had begun to call the crop the “alligator pear,” another name in which growers saw their own ruin.

From Time