caiman

1 of 2

noun (1)

cai·​man ˈkā-mən How to pronounce caiman (audio) kā-ˈman How to pronounce caiman (audio)
kī-
variants or less commonly cayman
: any of several Central and South American crocodilians (such as genera Caiman, Melanosuchus, and Paleosuchus) similar to alligators

cayman

2 of 2

noun (2)

cay·​man

less common spelling of caiman

: any of several Central and South American crocodilians (such as genera Caiman, Melanosuchus, and Paleosuchus) similar to alligators

Examples of caiman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Twilight skiff jaunts may yield a sighting of caimans, a crocodilian species. — Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2025 Even as a kid he was struck by the glitter of sunlight on the backs of caimans and the giant anteaters who sashayed among termite mounds. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
La Selva always had caymans, but only the less aggressive and less territorial dwarf and white species. — Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for caiman

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Spanish caimán, probably from Carib caymán

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caiman was in 1577

Rhymes for caiman

See All Rhymes for caiman

Browse Nearby Words

cailleach
caiman
caimitillo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Caiman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caiman. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

caiman

noun
cai·​man
variants also cayman
kā-ˈman, 
kī-;
ˈkā-mən
: any of several Central and South American reptiles closely related to and resembling alligators

More from Merriam-Webster on caiman

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caiman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All