alligator gar

noun

1. a large, heavily scaled fish, Lepisosteus spatula, with an elongated body and long snout, found mainly in shallow weedy fresh water in the southeastern U.S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alligator gar¹

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

The alligator gar caught in eastern China last week weighed roughly 11 pounds.

From Washington Post

In Washington state, the unauthorized release of an alligator gar into state waters can be charged as a felony.

From Washington Post

In the United States, where the alligator gar population appears to be in decline, transport and trade of the fish is regulated by federal law.

From Washington Post

Local authorities identified it as an alligator gar — a torpedo-shaped freshwater fish with razor-sharp teeth — and launched an operation to capture it.

From Washington Post

And in May, a nearly 300-pound alligator gar may have broken the Texas state record for the freshwater fish, though the angler chose to release the animal rather than kill it and bring it in to be weighed.

From New York Times